Strikes Many Americans as contrary . Most fundamental democratic principles, yes, he said, no. In fact, he said, i think a lot of people like it all right. Eric, thank you. And thanks to all of you. Its time for ac30, 60 good evening. Thanks for joining our special palm time coverage and the trump hush money criminal trial. They nine saw something remarkable former president held in Contempt Of Court and threatened with jail time. And the lawyer who represented two of the women who alleged affairs with trump, testifying about the deals he made to buy their silence, the contempt ruling made history and made the man you see there, a convicted criminal, judge, juan merchan, finding he violated the gag order. He is under nine times quoting from his ruling, this Court Rejects defendants arguments and finds that the people have established the elements of Criminal Contempt beyond a reasonable doubt. Criminal contempt, no, sitting or former president has ever been found guilty of any crime before. Big or small until today. The sources of Kaitlan Collins was in the courtroom in a moment, well talk with her about what she we saw a judge one or sean phi find the former president the maximum 1,000 for each count and warned them that further violations could land him in jail is not only unique, its totally constitution. Judges totally conflicted, totally absolutely conflicted that easily in this case im supposed to be in georgia. Im supposed to be new hampshire. Im supposed to be in ohio. Thats over the place and they have these sitting here for biden trial. Thats a Vitamin Trial in fact, its not and theres no evidence that it is. The judge said thursday for hearing on for other alleged gag order violations and testimony will continue thursday from former Karen Mcdougal and Stormy Daniels attorney, Keith Davidson, who was on the stand today as well. And as we talked about what he said on the stand today, were also monitoring Lead Developments at Columbia University where Protests Ssrs are occupying one of the buildings and hundreds of new York Police Officers, members of the Department Strategic response team, adjust, arrived outside campus. So were going to continue to watch that closely and well bring you any updates but the trials where we turn now with us tonight, new yorks Criminal Defense Attorney arthur aidala, bestselling author and former federal prosecutor future for thuban, former Defense Attorney informed Baltimore Mayor stephanie rawlings, blake, cnns Kaitlan Collins, cnn senior legal analyst, elie honig, and cnns kara scannell, who was also in the court. So Caitlin Karelin started for you. What were your impressions good. Well, i mean, karen nose, this place, like the back of her hand. This is my first time inside the courtroom since the trial has started today the first thing thats so it out to me was who came inside the room with trump because i was told last week he was very sensitive to reporting that none of his allies were really there that largely, with the exception of his defense team, he was kind of a loan, one of his family had been there until today. None of his family had been there today. Eric trump was there today, but it wasnt just eric trump that was in the room. It was a slew of political blades and allies as well. We saw Trumps Campaign manager, a campaign adviser. We also saw the Texas Attorney general, ken paxton, the one that was facing impeachment a few months ago, that trump publicly supported was in there, David Mackintosh from the Conservative Club For Growth was also in there. And so it was just a notable moment to see trumps surrounded by hi, this front row of his aides, given, there, you would not really seen a ton of that. Some of his political advisors and other attorneys to been in there. But you hadnt seen that level of support and clearly, he was trying to change that narrative that had emerged last week that he was largely alone in the room and eric trump was seated next to susie wiles lets the Trump Campaign manager, who is in the room. They were paying very close attention as the evidence was being presented, as the Text Messages with keith Keith Davidson, the witness today was on the screen. I was watching them and they were watching and reading along very closely with the rest of us in the courtroom. Kara, what stood out to you . I mean, those barrage of Text Messages are really telling between Keith Davidson and dylan howard of the National Enquirer as they were, they were fits and starts them trying to get these deals together. But also the impact on the campaign was something that we saw contemporaneously. These were the Text Messages they sent at the time it was something they were actively concerned about, which is part of the prosecutions theory. But i also thought it was so interesting, we were already getting a sense of who Michael Cohen is by the adjectives and descriptions that several witnesses have used when talking about their interactions with Michael Cohen exactly. Complimentary agitator they are not i mean, i wrote down a few jerk a whole aggressive barrage of insults and situations. And Keith Davidson said, the more moral of the story is no one wanted to talk to cohen. So its already giving the jury a sense of who this guy is. So when he comes in on the stand, they wont be surprised by his personality and casey does get defensive during some of this questioning, but just think is really interesting that youre getting the sense of who he is before youve even seen him. And Keith Davidson is a really compelling witness. This this is firsttime on the stand day for for people who dont recognize his name. He was the attorney who negotiated these deals for Karen Mcdougal and Stormy Daniels. He no longer represents them. I think youre and mcdougal was unhappy with her representation. Well, i mean, he said today that he took 45 of her sixfigure cut that she got. So i dont understand that everybody involved in the de allied, Karen Mcdougal is also variable upset with it and was upset when he later was putting pictures of her on his website to say that she was a former client, but that notwithstanding, i mean, its a cd world and he was very blunt about it. And Text Messages that he had sent, he was the one who sent the text message that said, what have we done the night of the election because he clearly thought that what they had done had benefitted trump. But hes a compelling witness. A sense that he makes jokes with the jurors at times he was making fun, making very clear how he felt about Michael Cohen at times comparing into a squirrel, even a Written Account of what you gave, just notes that he was making eye contact with the jury, like he debited would actually address the jury. Yeah. So when prosecutors would ask him a question, he sometimes look directly the prosecutor, but often i would notice karen are both sitting in there. He would look directly at the jurys whos kinda telling a story. It wasnt just a yes or no answer. He was very genuine seeming as he was providing this testimony, and he would sometimes get asked a question what did this person mean to you . And they said that trump is really tight with money or Something Like that and he would kind of pause and you but trump is sitting there person is lives, and then you would say that trump is very frugal. He also drew through line between trump and Michael Cohen had said he very much believed that trump was behind these negotiations. And just in my experience, prosecutors do encourage a witness to talk to the jury. If they can. Its a really interesting tactical point. I never actually told a witness where to look because the last can you wanted them to do is get crossexamined on he told you everything including where to look, but theres really two ways this happens some jurors dont want to break that fourth wall and so if lets say two bins cross examining me, theyre only looking at the lawyer backandforth. Others are looking right into the jury box and sort of communicating. And i obviously like the latter, if the person is credible and personable and based on kaitlan and qarrah account, it sounds like Keith Davidson was now if its a really dangerous, scary, violent guy, then i dont want them looking in the jury box if hes my cooperating witness because you dont want them freaked out, but it sounds to me from your account, kaitlan Like Davidson made a reasonable legitimate connection with the jury, which youre happy with as a prosecutor . Because a former Defense Attorney, would you encourage witnesses to me if you have a witness coming up like Michael Cohen, who is abrasive and has been sluggish in the past in his behavior when he was working for trump and clearly has lied is it good that these prosecution witnesses are sort of giving advance warning that hes not that pleasant and all these things so that the jury isnt necessarily surprised. Thats already builtin. Michael cohen knows who he is. I dont think hes surprised at all about any of the a whole jerk squirrel. He owns it. And i think its important for the for the jury to have a sense of who is coming on that were not the prosecution is not trying to make Michael Cohen something that he is not he they are showing the jury, this is who he is, but these are the facts. So you might think hes a whole squirrel, whatever but hes telling the truth and we have receipts are there. I mean, theres an attorney would it doesnt take some of the sting out of like, if a juror doesnt like Michael Cohen when he starts testify, if theyve already been kinda four warned, you may not like this guy. Does that help you start from the beginning . I mean, when i was an idea, i had like little crackheads from brooklyn. They but they were my main this is you would vod year the jury and say my main witness is someone whos going to tell you that theyve been arrested five times that the night in question they had a crack pipe in their pocket. But who do you think was going to be in the crack then when when that guy at the Defense Table shot the deceit east so yeah, im telling you right now and anderson, those of us who are old enough to remember john gati in that trial, who put them in prison . Sammy the bull bravado, we killed 19 people. So its a hurdle. That Michael Cohen thing that was large hurdle. Yeah. But they got over. There, was convicted. Be clear. He conspired 19 times. He didnt shoot everyone i mean, lets be fast. Ready to write that he admitted to who knows where but the thing with Michael Cohen, the question that the prosecution is certainly going to ask the jury is yes, he was in a hall. Yes, he was obnoxious. Yes, he was a squirrel, whatever that means i dont. Know who was he. Doing it, for . For whose benefit why was he so why dont we will employed him for years and years and wanted him to be like exactly. So i i think many of us here i know elie has i had my own dealings with Michael Cohen when he worked for trump and he screamed at me in a similar way, but it it was very clear to me that it was because he was advocating for donald trump. And thats gonna be the argument to this jury. But advocating and youre right. He was advocating, but i say things on behalf of clients that the client didnt tell me to say the client doesnt even know what im saying. Im advocating and i would think one of the defenses here is going to be like, hey, Michael Cohen, was a lone wolf. Michael cohen, he had such a vested interests himself in making donald trump the president , because probably you, Michael Cohens why he thought he was gonna be the attorney general, the United States of america will be on the Supreme Court of the United States, will become a billionaire himself. So i think that has to embrace Michael Cohens Embrace Liveness embraces lone wolf attitude and say, trump didnt tell him to do this. He was doing this on his own. But Keith Davidson did not testify that today Keith Davidson testified that Michael Cohen made clear in every chance he got that he was working for donald trump and and he was doing things on his horse. Thats his strain. Im not to saving the polls saying the boss told me to do im not done yet. He also testified that Michael Cohen, it was very clear was acting on trumps behalf that Michael Cohen would not be able to act with his own authority, that he was acting on Donald Trumps authority that was given. Let me jeff, i want to read part of the Gag Order Ruling where the judge addresses trumps claim that that reposts of his comments or retweets or not violations, which is an Argument Trump has made ad infinitum for years now, the judge said, quote, it is counterintuitive, indeed absurd to read the expanded order to not prescribe statements that defendant intentionally selected and published to maximize exposure. This is not to say that a reposts will always be deemed a statement of the poster as context is directly relevant. However, here under the unique facts and circumstances of this case, the only credible findings that the repost constitutes statements of the defendant. You think theres really a significant and also what occurred today is historic. I think it is historic and i think we need to pause and recognize what a big deal this is not just in this trial, but in broad scope of american history, donald trump today is a convicted criminal. This is not a civil judgment. This is not a slip slap on the wrist. This is a finding of Criminal Contempt that had to be proved beyond a reasonable doubt, and thats what the judge did well, the voters care beats the hell out of me, but this is something that i think is worth recognizing that has never come close to happening before in american history. Lagc that one. Yeah, i think its a fair point by jeff, i think we had a very, very powerful ruling by the judge. I mean, were waiting on this thing and the judge came through with i think exactly what he needed to do to reassert control of that courtroom. I mean, trump had run wild with this violated nine times. Theres going to be hearing on thursday. Im sure that will be for more violations. Theres four more at issue. Im sure the judge will find three or four of them. The judge had to get control and hes run very good trial so far. Hes running efficient trial hes keeping things moving within the courtroom itself. Its quite orderly, but trump was going nuts on the outside and he was flagrantly violating the gag order. The judge put his foot down and lets see what happens from here on out because now the judges said, if you do it again, i reserve the right, if necessary. He says if necessary big if i will imprison you but lets see, because trump hasnt violated this thing in fiber. So days, so new record. I going to give a sense of how this judge runs this courtroom he spoken he said, i found trump had violated the Gag Order Nine Times within the first ten minutes, said handed down the order and then it was back to business. Bring the jury and so until you read the order, you didnt see the strength of the language in there. He just did it very matter of fact, lay off the top and then brought the witnesses in and kept the jury in the case on track to more of this amount. Were going to take a quick break, a closer look next. Also, the trial transcript, including more and the testimony Keith Davidson about Michael Cohen and his Recollection Back in 2018 of his first First Encounter with them also tonight, tension growing at Columbia University. Theres a video weve just gotten what it looks like right now on campus, outside Hamilton Hall, which is the bill holding, there has been occupied by protesters, photos, seem to form Day Barricade