♪♪ >> IT'S FRIDAY. HI, EVERYONE. IT'S 4:00 IN NEW YORK. AFTER TENSE AND DRAMATIC TESTIMONY, FILLED WITH MORE THAN A FEW MOMENTS THAT WOULD MAKE ANY ONE OF US BLUSH, THE TRUMP ELECTION INTERFERENCE HUSH MONEY TRIAL TODAY GOT DOWN TO BRASS TACKS, A FLOOD OF EVIDENCE, PHONE CALL DATA, TEXTS, TWEETS, DOCUMENTS, THAT CAST NEW LIGHT ON THE MECHANICS OF THE SCHEME TO SILENCE STORMY DANIELS AND CONCEAL THE HUSH MONEY PAYMENTS. THEY SET THE STAGE FOR ONE STAR WITNESS AND POSSIBLY THE APPEARANCE OF ANOTHER WITNESS WHO IS NOT ON ANYONE'S LIST TO TESTIFY. READ OUT LOUD IN COURT TODAY MESSAGES SENT BETWEEN STORMY DANIELS' PUBLICIST, GINA RODRIGUEZ, AND THE "NATIONAL ENQUIRER" EDITOR DYLAN HOWARD. THESE TEXT MESSAGES SHOW THAT THOSE TWO WERE IN TALKS FOR MONTHS ABOUT BUYING STORMY DANIELS' STORY. ON OCTOBER 7th, 2016 -- APRIL 7th, 2016, RODRIGUEZ TEXT BUT STORMY WAS HIS MISTRESS. DYLAN HOWARD TEXTS BACK, I BET SHE WAS. CAN YOU E-MAIL ME WHAT YOU HAVE ON THAT? FEW MONTHS LATER THIS EXCHANGE FROM JUNE 28th, 2016. GINA RODRIGUEZ TEXTS, SHE DOESN'T WANT TO GO ON THE RECORD ABOUT IT, BUT WANTS TO TELL THE STORY THROUGH A SOURCE. SHE HAD SEX WITH HIM. SHE WANTS 100,000. DYLAN HOWARD AT THE "ENQUIRER" ONCE OR ONGOING RELATIONSHIP? >> GINA RODRIGUEZ WRITES BACK, A COUPLE TIMES, AND HE PROMISED HER A CONDO AND A SPOT ON "CELEBRITY APPRENTICE." THESE TEXT MESSAGES SHOW THAT GINA RODRIGUEZ WAS BEING BARGAINED DOWN FROM AN INITIAL ASK OF $250,000. BUT AS DAVID PECKER TESTIFIED, HE REACHED THE POINT WITH THIS DEAL WHERE HE SAID, QUOTE, I'M NOT BANK AND REFUSED TO DO IT, WHICH LEFT THESE NEGOTIATIONS IN THE HANDS OF MICHAEL COHEN AND DONALD TRUMP. SO ON OCTOBER 17th, 2016, GINA RODRIGUEZ TEXT, WE'RE NOT DOING THE DEAL, THE TRUMP DEAL. DYLAN HOWARD REPLIES, KEITH GAVE ME A HEADS UP WHAT HAPPENED. GINA RODRIGUEZ, THEY DIDN'T PAY WHEN THEY SAID THEY WOULD AND THEY KEEP TRYING TO BUY MORE TIME. "DAILY MAIL" WANTS IT BAD AND WE'RE DOING IT. THE FOOT DRAGGING BY MICHAEL COHEN AND DONALD TRUMP ENDS ON OCTOBER 7th THE LAST TEXT MESSAGE FROM DYLAN HOWARD THE DAY BEFORE THAT SAYS, QUOTE, GOOD NEWS I HEAR. PROSECUTORS TODAY ALSO GOT TO THE ACTUAL CHARGES AT HAND, THOSE 34 FELONY COUNTS FOR FALSIFYING BUSINESS RECORDS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE TRIAL. THE D.A.'S OFFICE PUT EACH ONE OF THE ALLEGEDLY FALSE RECORDS ON DISPLAY FOR THE JURY. THERE WERE 11 INVOICES, 11 VOUCHERS AND 12 CHECKS, ALL RELATING TO THE REIMBURSEMENT OF ONE OF THEIR NEXT WITNESSES. MULTIPLE SOURCES TELLING NBC THAT MICHAEL COHEN WILL TAKE THE STAND MONDAY FOR WHAT IS EXPECTED TO BE SEVERAL DAYS OF DRAMATIC TESTIMONY. ALSO BROUGHT UP IN COURT TODAY, ONE PERSON WHO LOOMS OVER THIS CASE, FORMER TRUMP ORG CFO ALLEN WEISSELBERG. HE SIGNED OFF ON THE PLAN TO REIMBURSE MICHAEL COHEN, ALSO THE AMOUNTS THAT HE WOULD BE REIMBURSED. WE SAW HIS HANDWRITTEN NOTES ON DOCUMENTS ENTERED INTO EVIDENCE THIS WEEK. WHERE IS HE? HE'S SERVING JAIL TIME AT RIKERS FOR PERJURY. FROM NBC NEWS REPORTING ON THIS, THE PARTIES DISCUSSED WHETHER WEISSELBERG'S SEVERANCE AGREEMENT SHOULD COME INTO EVIDENCE. UNDER THAT AGREEMENT THE TRUMP ORGANIZE IS OBLIGATED TO PAY HIM THREE INSTALLMENTS BY THE END OF THE YEAR AND IN EXCHANGE HE MAY NOT DISPARAGE ANY OF ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTOR OR EMPLOYEES. PROSECUTORS SAY THEY WANT TO USE IT TO EXPLAIN WHY ALLEN WEISSELBERG IS NOT ONCE. NBC NEWS REPORTS THIS, QUOTE, AS A SOLUTION, THE JUDGE NOTES THAT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HIM IN RESOLVING THIS IF SOME EFFORTS WERE MADE TO SECURE WEISSELBERG'S APPEARANCE. A MOUNTAIN OF HARD EVIDENCE IN THE AMOUNT OF DOCUMENTS AND PRETTY INTRIGUING DISCUSSIONS OVER WITNESSES STILL TO COME, IS A PRELUDE TO A POTENTIALLY EXPLOSIVE WEEK OF TESTIMONY NEXT WEEK. IT'S WHERE WE START WITH OUR FAVORITE REPORTERS, ALL AT THE TABLE TODAY. "NEW YORK TIMES" INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER SUSAN CRAIG IS BACK, MSNBC LEGAL ANALYST AND A FORMER CRIMINAL DEPUTY CHIEF AT SDNY CHRISTIE GREENBERG IS BACK. BACK FROM THE COLD, HARD STREETS OF LOWER MANHATTAN, NBC NEWS CORRESPONDENT VAUGHN HILLYARD AT THE TABLE AND HOST OF "POLITICS NATION" HERE ON MSNBC, THE PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL ACTION NETWORK, THE REVEREND AL SHARPTON IS HERE. I'LL START WITH THE QUESTION, THIS IS -- HOW MAD IS TRUMP? I MEAN YOU KNOW HIM. >> HE'S FURIOUS. I MEAN, I THINK IF YOU LOOKED AT HIS FACIAL EXPRESSION, BELIEVE ME, LET'S PUT IT THIS WAY, I DON'T THINK MELANIA IS GOING TO HAVE A GREAT MOTHER'S DAY. HE WILL BE KICKING WALLS ALL WEEKEND BECAUSE OF -- HE REALLY -- REALLY IN A DANGEROUS POSITION HE'S IN NOW. THE TIME THAT I'VE KNOWN DONALD TRUMP, WHETHER WE WERE FIGHTING OR WHETHER HE WAS TRYING TO ACT LIKE HE WAS A DEMOCRAT, HE'S DELUSIONAL AND THE LOOK I SAW ON HIS FACE TODAY WAS, ALL OF A SUDDEN THE DELUSIONS ARE KIND OF MELTING, AND HE REALIZED THIS COULD BE REAL TROUBLE. I THINK HE'LL BE PUTTING A LOT OF PRESSURE ON THOSE LAWYERS HE'LL BE COMING UP WITH A DIFFERENT THEORY EVERY SECOND THAT THEY OUGHT TO TRY. IT'S GOING TO BE A VERY BUSY WEEKEND FOR DONALD TRUMP BECAUSE HE IS, I THINK, A MAN SINKING AND HE'S SEEING IT AND HE'S GOING TO TRY EVERY ANGLE HE CAN BETWEEN NOW AND WHEN THEY RECONVENE NEXT WEEK. >> I FEEL LIKE IT'S A SMEAR TO SHAKE SPEAR TO DESCRIBE COHEN VERSUS TRUMP AS SHAKESPEAREAN, BUT IN THIS ELEMENT IT FEELS LIKE IT MIGHT BE. WHAT TRUMP WILL WANT TO DO OR SAY ABOUT COHEN COULD PUT MICHAEL COHEN SPENT TIME IN PRISON. THESE TWO MEN CONNECTED, COHEN TOOK CARE OF TRUMP'S DIRTIEST DEED, DID IT WITH SEEMING ENTHUSIASM FOR A WHILE. HE AND WEISSELBERG SORT OF TWO OF THE -- ONE WE KNOW IS A WITNESS, A COMING ATTRACTION, THE OTHER A GIANT QUESTION MARK, TWO OF THE NOT THE ONLY MEN BUT TWO MEN WHO HAVE GONE TO PRISON FOR DONALD TRUMP. >> IMAGINE YOUR FRENEMY, MOST FOLKS HAVE ONE OF THOSE. TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL OF THE WHITE HOUSE ON THE LINE, PRISON ON THE LINE, ONE MAN HAVING SERVED TIME IN PRISON FOR THE CRIMES THAT HE PLED GUILTY TO COMMITTING ON BEHALF OF THAT OTHER FRIEND SLASH NOW ENEMY. THAT'S WHAT'S ON THE LINE HERE. WHEN DONALD TRUMP IS LITERALLY GOING INSIDE THE COURTHOUSE TODAY HE SEES A TIKTOK LAST NIGHT FROM MICHAEL COHEN THAT INCLUDES MICHAEL COHEN WEARING A SHIRT OF DONALD TRUMP BEHIND BARS WHICH LED TO AN IRATE DONALD TRUMP AND ATTORNEY TODD BLANCHE SAYING MICHAEL COHEN SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO NOT SPEAK ABOUT THIS TRIAL AT ALL BECAUSE DONALD TRUMP IS CURRENTLY HAS THE GAG ORDER PLACED ON TOP OF HIM. HE'S ALREADY VIOLATED IT TEN TIMES A COUPLE OF THOSE FOR ATTACKING MICHAEL COHEN, BUT THIS IS A MOMENT HERE WHERE HE WANTS TO GO OUT AND PUBLICLY DEFEND HIMSELF AND THIS IS THE SAME ARGUMENT WE SAW AT THE END OF COURT YESTERDAY BUT ABOUT STORMY DANIELS. TODD BLANCHE MAKING THE CASE FOR DONALD TRUMP THAT DONALD TRUMP SHOULD BE ABLE TO ATTACK HER BECAUSE SHE'S A WITNESS THAT IS NOW OFF THE STAND BUT AS STORMY DANIELS TWEETED LAST NIGHT, QUOTE REAL MEN RESPOND TO TESTIMONY BEING SWORN IN AND TAKING THE STAND IN COURT. OH, WAIT, NEVER MIND. MICHAEL COHEN COULD HAVE THAT RESPONSE BACK IN RETURN. THAT IS AN OUTSTANDING QUESTION, WOULD DONALD TRUMP TAKE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO GO ON THE ATTACK AGAINST MICHAEL COHEN IN THE PLACE HE WOULD BE ABLE TO DO THAT IN THE COURTROOM. >> WHAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT STORMY DANIELS AND MICHAEL COHEN, IN 2016, WHICH IS WHAT THIS WHOLE TRIAL HAS BROUGHT ME BACK TO, IN EVERY WAY, 14 OR 15 REPUBLICANS FAILED TO EVER UNDERSTAND HOW TO GET UNDER HIS SKIN. STORMY DANIELS AND MICHAEL COHEN CAN DO IT AS EASILY AS THE REST OF US EXHALE. HE'S TRIGGERED BY THE TWO OF THEM. WHAT ARE YOU EXPECTING AS SOMEONE WHO HAS COVERED ALL THESE PLAYERS ON MONDAY? >> I'M WONDERING WHEN DONALD TRUMP WALKS INTO THAT COURTROOM AND MICHAEL COHEN IS THERE WITH HIM THERE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A MAN WHO HAS ALREADY PUBLICLY TESTIFIED UP ON CAPITOL HILL, WHETHER IT BE ON HIS TIKTOK, ON HIS PODCAST, HE HAS TALKED SO EXTENSIVELY ABOUT HIM, BUT DONALD TRUMP HAS STRUGGLED TO RESPOND. AS YOU JUST SAID, HE'S STRUGGLED TO RESPOND TO STORMY DANIELS' ALLEGATIONS, RIGHT. IT'S NOT LIKE HE'S COMING FACT FOR FACT. THE SAME THING WITH MICHAEL COHEN, AND FOR HIM, WILL HE BE ABLE TO MANAGE OVER THE COURSE OF THE WEEK KNOWING THAT TESTIMONY WILL BE COMING UP MONDAY, TUESDAY, THURSDAY, WILL HE BE ABLE TO TRULY SIT THERE AND WILL HIS ATTORNEYS BE ABLE TO GET HIM TO RESIST DEMANDING THAT HE TAKE THE STAND WHETHER IT IS LEGALLY CALCULATED OR NOT. >> HIS LACK OF IMPULSE CONTROL IN ALL OF THIS IS REMARKABLE. HE WENT OUT ON TWITTER AND SAID I'M NOT GOING TO SAY ANYTHING ELSE. AND THEN HAS CONTINUED TIME AFTER TIME -- >> WHICH ONE ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? >> MICHAEL COHEN. YEAH. IT'S HARD SOMETIMES TO DIFFERENTIATE THE TWO. >> FRANKLY NEITHER OF THEM -- >> HE WAS OUT ON A TIKTOK LIVE VIDEO WITH A SHIRT OF DONALD TRUMP BEHIND BARS THAT DONALD TRUMP'S LAWYERS WERE IN COURT COMPLAINING ABOUT TODAY, AND THERE IS THIS REMARKABLE EXPLAINING ABOUT IT. EVEN THE GOVERNMENT LAWYER JOSHUA STEINGLASS SAID WE CAN'T CONTROL THE WITNESSES. WE DON'T HAVE THE POWER TO DO IT. THE JUDGE ACTUALLY SAID TO HIM, YOU SHOULD TELL THEM, YOU NEED TO TALK TO THEM. HE UNDERSTAND HE CAN'T CONTROL THEM, BUT THERE ARE MESSAGES THAT HAVE TO GO OUT ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. DONALD TRUMP HE WANTS TO RESPOND IN A POLITICAL FORMAT. HE'S HAVING TO REALIZE RIGHT NOW THE CONSTRAINTS OF THIS COURTROOM, BUT IT'S FRUSTRATING I THINK, PARTICULARLY WHEN YOU'RE SEEING WHAT MICHAEL COHEN IS DOING, TIME AND TIME AGAIN. AFTER MICHAEL COHEN SAYING HE'S NOT GOING TO DO IT. HE CONTINUES TO POKE THE BEAR. AND THIS IS WHAT'S COMING INTO COURT ON MONDAY. THIS IS WHAT -- IT'S GOING TO BE INTERESTING BECAUSE I SAW MICHAEL COHEN IN THE CIVIL SETTING, AND I ACTUALLY THOUGHT IN MOST RESPECTS HE WAS A VERY GOOD WITNESS. BUT ON MONDAY WHAT GOES TO THE HEART OF THIS IS WHAT HE'S GOING TO BE TESTIFYING ABOUT. THE HUSH MONEY PAYMENT HE PAID, HE HAS DONE TIME FOR THIS, AND I THINK IT'S JUST A WHOLE NEW BALL GAME ON MONDAY AS IT HOW THIS UNFOLDS. >> WE SHOULD NOT FORGET THAT MICHAEL COHEN, DESPITE ALL OF THE BAGGAGE, IS REALLY EMOTIONALLY VERY, VERY CONNECTED TO SEEING SOME JUSTICE HERE AS HE SEES IT. YOU MAY REMEMBER HE CALLED ME AND I HAD PRAYER WITH HIM BEFORE HE WENT TO JAIL. THIS MAN WENT TO JAIL IN PART ON THESE CHARGES. >> REV, I AGREE WITH YOU BUT IF HE'S THAT EMOTIONALLY INVESTED HE HAS TO SHOW SOME RESTRAINT. >> YOU CANNOT BLOW IT. >> RIGHT. >> HE'S GOING TO GET BLAMED FOR IT. >> AT THE END OF THE ROAD, THAT YOU WANTED TO SEE SOMETHING, DON'T BLOW IT. IF I WERE TO TALK TO HIM THIS WEEKEND, I'M NOT CALLING HIM, HE'S CALLED ME, DON'T BLOW IT. WHATEVER YOU SAID, IF IT IS TRUE, YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY NOW FOR TRUTH TO BECOME CLEAR IN FRONT OF A JURY. >> RIGHT. >> DON'T BLOW IT. I THINK THAT HIS EMOTIONS ARE TIED UP. I MEAN I TALKED TO -- >> YOU CAN FEEL IT. >> I TALKED TO HIS SON WHILE HE WAS
