Michael Cohen testified Donald Trump told him, “Be prepared. There’s going to be a lot of women coming forward,” when Trump was about to announce his run for presidency.
Donald Trump’s former longtime fixer Michael Cohen took the stand Monday at the former president’s criminal hush money trial.
Cohen testified that he started his work for Trump in 2006 as his fixer with a salary of $375,000 a year, and said he liked his job.
Cohen testified when Trump was about to announce his run for the presidency, Trump told Cohen, “Be prepared. There’s going to be a lot of women coming forward.”
According to Cohen, one month before the election in 2016, Stormy Daniels looked for a deal and Cohen said Trump was incensed, telling his fixer, “This is a disaster, a total disaster … Women will hate me. Guys will think it’s cool, but this is going to be a disaster for the campaign.”
Cohen testified he asked Trump how Melania might react to Daniels.
“Don’t worry. How long do you think I’ll be on the market for? Not long,” Trump allegedly replied.
On this way to the courtroom, Trump arrived with an entourage including Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio, Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, and New York Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis.
“This trial is rigged. It’s dishonest. It’s a disgrace to New York. It’s a disgrace to the county,” Trump told reporters outside the court.
Some of the people who entered the courtroom with Trump were tweeting as the trial went on.
“Michael Cohen admitting he secretly recorded his employer. A standup guy,” Vance posted to X.
Trump’s son Eric was reportedly glaring at Cohen as the former fixer testified.
“He watched Michael Cohen walk in and he followed his body up to the stand and he continued to look straight at him. I mean it was a glare, yes, I mean I don’t know if he was trying to scare him but he was definitely looking directly at him the entire time,” Law and Crime legal analyst and host Terri Austin tells Inside Edition.
Austin says Trump appeared to look fairly relaxed when Cohen was on the stand.
“They both looked as though ‘alright here it comes, we’re going to have this testimony, let’s just get it over with,’” Austin says.
There will be no court in session on Friday for the former president’s hush money trial so Trump can attend his son Barron’s high school graduation ceremony.
