Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker is set to be the initial witness for the prosecution in Trump’s hush money trial.
The New York Times indicated:
Prosecutors on Mr. Bragg’s team plan to use the 2016 campaign strategy against Mr. Trump: The methods that helped push him to victory will be presented as evidence and reevaluated well beyond the courtroom. Aides and associates who lied on Mr. Trump’s behalf will take the witness stand to testify against him.
These individuals include: David Pecker, the tabloid publisher who purchased and suppressed damaging stories about Mr. Trump; Hope Hicks, a spokeswoman who attempted to manipulate reporters; and Mr. Cohen, the fixer who paid Ms. Daniels. Mr. Pecker, who headed the company that owned The National Enquirer, is scheduled to testify first, and is anticipated to recount several conversations with Mr. Trump about the hush money for the jury, as per a source familiar with the plan.
It's impossible to predict how a jury will perceive and process witnesses and information, but David Pecker could be the most crucial witness at Trump’s trial because of his direct communication with Trump and Michael Cohen, while playing a central role in the hush money scheme to conceal damaging information about Trump from voters prior to the 2016 election.
David Pecker can provide a firsthand account of conversations with Trump during the criminal plot's inception. Pecker possesses direct knowledge and information, and his testimony will support Michael Cohen's account. Trump’s defense is that everyone else is lying and conspiring against him.
Trump is attempting to persuade at least one juror to believe his version over the evidence.
It's not sufficient for prosecutors to have a substantial amount of evidence. The prosecution must convince a jury that the evidence establishes beyond a reasonable doubt that Donald Trump is guilty. The testimony of David Pecker marks the initial progress in building that case.
