With former Trump attorney Michael Cohen taking the witness stand on Tuesday, former President Donald Trump could still face a gauntlet of former associates at his hush money trial in Manhattan, according to a list provided by the judge—including former attorney Rudy Giuliani, former aide Steve Bannon and ex-Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg.
Former President Donald Trump could expect to see over 40 potential witnesses in his hush money ... [+]
During jury selection last month, New York Judge Juan Merchan informed potential jurors of the names of over 40 potential witnesses they could see in the trial in an effort to weed out biases—Trump faces 34 felony charges for allegedly falsifying business records over hush money payments to Daniels ahead of the 2016 election.
While calling on witnesses falls to prosecutors and defense attorneys, the list of potential witnesses Merchan provided includes members of Trump’s family, including his adult children Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump and Eric Trump, as well as his wife Melania Trump and Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump’s husband—none of Trump’s family members have testified.
Among the other potential witnesses Merchan listed were model Karen McDougal, who also said she received a hush money payment for an alleged affair with Trump, and former Trump Organization Allen Weisselberg.
So far, Trump has seen a handful of former associates on the witness stand, including former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, former aide Hope Hicks, former First Republic Bank executive Gary Farro, former assistant Rhona Graff, C-Span archives director Robert Browning, adult film star Stormy Daniels and her attorney Keith Davidson.
Prosecutors had said last week they plan to call two more witnesses to the stand—one of them being Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen—while the other’s name has not been revealed—though defense attorneys could still call more witnesses once the prosecution rests.
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Trump was indicted on 34 felony charges last March for allegedly falsifying business records stemming from hush money payments to Daniels in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election intended to keep her from speaking on an alleged affair. Prosecutors claim Trump paid Cohen $420,000 as reimbursement for a $130,000 hush money payment to Daniels and other expenses, and falsely labeled that reimbursement as a legal fee. Trump pleaded not guilty to the charges and claimed no wrongdoing, continuing his criticism of the case on Monday, when he called it “the Biden Manhattan Witch Hunt Case” in a post on Truth Social. Trump also faces a gag order in the case barring him from publicly commenting on potential witnesses and court staff, with prosecutors on Monday seeking a $3,000 fine for Trump and claiming the former president violated the order by attacking Merchan on Truth Social.
Whether a potential conviction in the hush money case could cost Trump votes in the November election. Roughly 57% of registered voters in a New York Times/Siena poll conducted last week said they believe the charges against Trump are serious, with 46% of respondents saying the former president should be found guilty, compared to 37% who said he should not and 17% who were unsure or did not answer. Roughly 13% of respondents—and 24% of registered Republicans—in a Reuters/Ipsos poll this month said they would not vote for Trump in November if he is convicted of a felony.