Day 8 of Trump New York hush money trial

Defense attorney Emil Bove is asking about Pecker's testimony that Trump thanked him for handling the situation surrounding potentially damaging stories from former Playboy model Karen McDougal and a Trump tower doorman.

Bove asks Pecker of the testimony, "Was that a mistake?"

"No," Pecker says, furrowing his brow.

"You believe that President Trump said that to you, as you sit here right now?"

Pecker said, “Yes I do."

Specifically, Bove asks Pecker about his testimony yesterday, when the ex-tabloid boss said Trump thanked him for the door man story.

The White House is attempting to use Donald Trump's legal troubles to draw a contrast between President Joe Biden, who is on the campaign trail, and the former president, who has been in a New York courthouse this week.

Biden's interview with popular radio host Howard Stern was released moments ago and the president's campaign has been using non-traditional media outlets to push his story at times, CNN's Arlette Saenz reports.

Yesterday, Biden said he hasn't watched any of Trump's courtroom drama.

Bove is revisiting Pecker's January 6, 2017, meeting with Trump at Trump Tower.

Bove walks through Pecker’s previous testimony that Reince Priebus, Mike Pompeo, Sean Spicer and James Comey were in Trump's office standing around his desk when Pecker walked in.

Bove confirmed Pecker's testimony that he believes they were discussing a shooting in Fort Lauderdale.

Bove asks Pecker for more details about how he was let into the office while Trump was being briefed on a domestic national emergency.

"Mr. Trump has a large office, and I was by the door while they were talking with Mr. Trump," Pecker says.

Pecker clarified he didn't overhear the national security conversation. Bove asks Pecker if he knew there was another consequence of that meeting.

Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass objected and the lawyers are now at the bench.

Judge Juan Merchan sustains the objection.

Trump attorney Todd Blanche whispered to Trump after returning to the defendant's table.

Ex-National Enquirer boss David Pecker is testifying about his discussions with then-editor-in-chief Dylan Howard and Trump attorney Michael Cohen about the Stormy Daniels story.

"When Howard contacted you about this payment, the main concern was Howard's reputation," Bove asks. "Yes," Pecker replied.

Bove then asks Pecker about the call he and Howard had with Cohen about the tabloid's parent company, American Media Inc., not paying for the Stormy Daniels story.

"And you meant it?" Bove asks. "I did," Pecker says.

Bove confirms Pecker wanted nothing to do with it. "That's right," Pecker says.

When Pecker told former National Enquirer editor-in-chief Dylan Howard he wanted nothing to do with it, Bove asks Pecker to confirm he was "speaking for the company and for yourself."

"Yes," Pecker says.

Bove is now moving on to Pecker's testimony about Stormy Daniels.

Bove catches a mistake in Pecker's testimony that he saw the third-party consultant's invoice for Trump to pay back AMI for McDougal in 2016.

Bove shows Pecker his interview with the district attorney's office from 2019 where he said the first time he saw that third-party invoice was in 2017. Pecker agrees that was correct.

That agreement was never executed, though it was signed by Cohen and the consultant.

Bove shows the jury the Wall Street Journal article published days before the election that included McDougal's allegation and the agreement. Pecker agreed it had come out before the election.

Trump is hunched forward leaning into attorney Todd Blanche's personal space to read a piece of paper during Pecker's testimony. He's now leaning back in his chair.

Defense attorney Emil Bove is revisiting previous testimony from David Pecker about consulting a campaign attorney and his company's general counsel about the tabloid's agreement with Karen McDougal, the former Playboy model who alleged she had an affair with Donald Trump.

Bove asks Pecker if when he told then-Trump attorney Michael Cohen the agreement was "bulletproof," he was conveying "there were no legal ramifications." "That’s correct," Pecker says.

The Trump attorney then asks Pecker several follow-up questions confirming the then-tabloid boss meant what he said to Cohen, because he had received legal advice about the agreement, to which Pecker agreed.

Pecker says he didn't withhold any information from the attorneys when they reviewed the agreement.

The prior testimony in question: Bove and Pecker are talking about testimony from 2016, when the former National Enquirer publisher described consulting an election law attorney and the in-house counsel at American Media Inc., his parent company, about the "catch and kill" contract the tabloid reached with McDougal to bury her story about Trump.