Tabloid Tactics and Trump’s ‘Hush Money’ Trial: Pecker Reveals Election Swaying Scheme
In the ongoing ‘hush money’ trial against former US President Donald Trump, former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker provided explosive testimony on Tuesday, revealing a mutually beneficial arrangement between the tabloid and Trump’s campaign in the 2016 presidential election. This scheme involved the Enquirer promoting positive coverage of Trump while suppressing negative stories, particularly those involving women, to boost his chances of victory.
Pecker described two instances where this strategy was implemented. In 2015, following an allegation that Trump had a love child with a Trump Tower maid, the Enquirer paid a former Trump World Tower doorman $30,000 to bury the story. According to Pecker, Trump was ‘very pleased’ with this arrangement.
The second instance involved Playboy playmate Karen McDougal, who claimed to have had a nine-month affair with Trump in 2006. AMI, the parent company of the Enquirer, paid McDougal $150,000 for the exclusive rights to her story but never published it, as part of the ‘catch-and-kill’ scheme to prevent it from damaging Trump’s campaign.
Pecker’s testimony shed light on the extent to which tabloid journalism was used to influence the outcome of the 2016 election. It also raised questions about the role of hush money payments in silencing potential witnesses against Trump.
The trial is expected to continue on Thursday, with further testimony from Pecker and the potential appearance of McDougal as a witness. Meanwhile, Judge Juan Merchan is expected to rule on whether Trump has violated a gag order by attacking witnesses and potential jurors online, potentially resulting in fines or further restrictions.
