PLACE MENTALLY, LIKE, WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO DO THAT TO A DOG? >>> DONALD TRUMP'S HUSH MONEY CRIMINAL TRIAL WILL PICK BACK UP TOMORROW WITH COURT IN RECESS TODAY IN THIS HISTORIC TRIAL. ON FRIDAY, FORMER "NATIONAL ENQUIRER" PUBLISHER DAVID PECKER WRAPPED UP HIS TESTIMONY. WOW. THE DEFENSE TRIED TO POKE HOLES AT HIS CREDIBILITY AT A WITNESS, SEEKING TO ESTABLISH HOW HIS TABLOID STOOD TO PROFIT OFF THE STORIES IT BOUGHT. EARLIER IN THE WEEK, PECKER TESTIFIED ABOUT CATCH AND KILL AGREEMENTS LINKED TO TRUMP'S 2016 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN. BUT BEFORE HIS TESTIMONY ENDED, PECKER REVEALED DETAILS ABOUT A CONFERENCE CALL TRUMP SET UP BETWEEN THE TABLOID PUBLISHER AND TWO OF TRUMP'S WHITE HOUSE AIDES, SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS AND HOPE HICKS. THE CALL TOOK PLACE SOON AFTER FORMER PLAYBOY MODEL KAREN McDOUGAL GAVE AN INTERVIEW TO CNN. PECKER TOLD THE TWO LADIES HE PLANNED TO EXTEND AN AGREEMENT WITH McDOUGLE THAT WOULD KEEP HER FROM SPEAKING MORE WIDELY ABOUT HER ALLEGED AFFAIR WITH THE FORMER PRESIDENT. PECKER SAID SANDERS AND HICKS, QUOTE, THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD IDEA. JOINING US NOW, FORMER LITIGATOR AND MSNBC LEGAL CORRESPONDENT LISA RUBIN. >> IT IS INTERESTING. THE ARGUMENT THAT THE DEFENSE WAS MAKING REALLY FELL FLAT WHEN THEY SUGGESTED THAT PECKER WAS DOING THIS FOR PROFIT, ALL OF THIS FOR PROFIT. IN FACT, IF HE HAD RUN THE McDOUGLE/TRUMP STORY, IT PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BROKEN RECORDS. BUT HE DECIDED TO SIT ON IT BECAUSE, AS HE SAID THROUGHOUT HIS TESTIMONY, HE WANTED TO HELP DONALD TRUMP, HIS FRIEND, GET ELECTED PRESIDENT. >> THAT'S TRUE. JOE, IT WAS UNDERSCORED BY THE FACT THAT IN MUCH OF HIS TESTIMONY, DAVID PECKER'S BOTTOM LINE WAS CLEAR AS THE PRIMARY MOTIVATING FACTOR FOR HIM. BUT AS JOSHUA STEINGLASS, REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE D.A., ESTABLISHED ON REDIRECT, YES, IT WAS TO HIS BENEFIT TO RUN POSITIVE STORIES ABOUT DONALD TRUMP, WHO HAD LONG BEEN A READER FAVORITE AMONG "NATIONAL ENQUIRER" READERS. BUT AS STEINGLASS ASKED, THIS WAS NEVER YOUR INTENTION TO RIGHT THE STORY, RIGHT? PECKER SAID, NO. HE SAID, IF YOU'D RUN IT, IT WOULD BE EQUIVALENT TO "NATIONAL ENQUIRER" GOLD, RIGHT? PECKER SAID, ABSOLUTELY. IT WAS THE STORY OF A PLAYMATE OF THE YEAR WHO WAS ALLEGING, AND A STORY I BELIEVED, BY THE WAY, A YEARS' LONG AFFAIR WITH THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES WHO WAS ALSO A KNOWN CELEBRITY AND COMMONALITY IN MY UNIVERSE. THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN ENQUIRER GOLD. AT THAT POINT, WE BROKE FOR LUNCH. IT WAS THE PERFECT POINT FOR THE D.A. TO HAVE REESTABLISHED, THIS WAS FAR FROM WHAT THE TRUMP WORLD WAS CALLING STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR THE ENQUIRER. >> LISA, THERE WAS A LOT FROM THE PECKER TESTIMONY ABOUT AFFAIRS, HUSH MONEY, CATCH AND KILL, THE WHOLE CONCEPT OF THAT TYPE OF JOURNALISM, NONE OF WHICH IS AGAINST THE LAW OR THE CRIME THAT HE'S ACCUSED OF, THE FORMER PRESIDENT. DID PECKER'S TESTIMONY HELP PROVE OR BEGIN TO HELP PROVE THE CRIME THAT HE IS ACCUSED OF? >> ABSOLUTELY. BECAUSE, MIKA, THE CRIME THAT THE FORMER PRESIDENT HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH IS FALSIFICATION OF BUSINESS RECORDS AS A FELONY. IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH THAT HE'S COMMITTED A FELONY OPPOSED TO A MISDEMEANOR, YOU HAVE TO SHOW THAT HE FALSIFIED BUSINESS RECORDS WITH THE INTENT TO CONCEAL ANOTHER CRIME. THAT'S WHERE DAVID PECKER COMES IN. DAVID PECKER IS CRITICAL TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CONSPIRACY TO PROMOTE TRUMP'S ELECTION THROUGH UNLAWFUL MEANS WHERE AT LEAST ONE ACT WAS TAKEN IN THE DIRECTION OF THOSE UNLAWFUL MEANS. DAVID PECKER WAS THERE FOR THE FORMATION OF THE CONSPIRACY. DAVID PECKER HELPED EXECUTE THE CONSPIRACY. DAVID PECKER'S PAYMENT TO KAREN McDOUGAL, WHICH HE UNDERSTOOD WOULD POSE CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAW PROBLEMS, WAS THAT UNLAWFUL MEANS. THROUGH DAVID PECKER, PROSECUTORS HAVE GOT AN LOT OF WHAT THEY NEEDED TO ESTABLISH THAT THIS WAS FELONIOUS AND NOT JUST YOUR EVERYDAY GARDEN VARIETY MISDEMEANOR. >> TRIED TO PULL BACK. DOES THE TESTIMONY SEEM TO ADD VALUE TO WHAT THE D.C. WAS TRYING TO PROVE? DID WE EXPECT PECKER TO BE AS STRONG AS HE WAS, OR WERE WE LOOKING FOR THAT IN OTHER WITNESSES YET TO COME? >> PECKER HAD A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT WE DIDN'T QUITE KNOW THAT HE WOULD HAVE. NAMELY, HE PUT HIMSELF AT MULTIPLE CONVERSATIONS EITHER WITH DONALD TRUMP AND MICHAEL COHEN OR WITH DONALD TRUMP ALONE THAT HELP ESTABLISH THAT TRUMP WAS A PARTICIPATE IN THE CONSPIRACY AND THAT HE KNEW AND INTENDED THE RESULTS OF THAT CONSPIRACY, WHICH WAS TO PROMOTE HIS OWN ELECTION BY SUBVERTING THE KAREN McDOUGAL STORY. SO NOBODY WAS EXPECTING THAT DAVID PECKER WOULD COME IN AND SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, "I MET WITH TRUMP ALONE IN HIS TRUMP TOWER OFFICE IN JANUARY OF 2017. HE ASKED ME HOW KAREN McDOUGAL WAS DOING," WHICH WAS LESS ABOUT CARE OF HER WELFARE AND MORE ABOUT, WAS SHE GOING TO BE QUIET AND COMPLIANT. >> RIGHT. >> "ONCE I ASSURED HIM HE WAS FINE, HE SAID, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR HANDLING THE McDOUGLE SITUATION, HANDLING THE DOORMAN SITUATION." DONALD TRUMP WAS SO GRATEFUL, HE LET DAVID PECKER ESSENTIALLY THROW HIMSELF A WHITE HOUSE DINNER THAT SUMMER, AFTER WHICH, AS THEY'RE WALKING IN THE ROSE GARDEN, DONALD TRUMP RESUMES THE SAME CONVERSATION. "HOW IS KAREN? HOW IS SHE DOING?" ALL DONALD TRUMP CARED ABOUT WAS THAT DAVID PECKER HAD AN ARRANGEMENT WITH KAREN McDOUGAL THAT ALLOWED HER TO FEEL SATISFIED THAT SHE WAS GETTING SOMETHING OUT OF THE DEAL. IT BECAME CLEAR THROUGH DAVID PECKER'S TESTIMONY THAT DONALD TRUMP HAD THE KNOWLEDGE AND INTENT THAT PROSECUTORS NOT ONLY WANT TO ESTABLISH BUT HAVE TO ESTABLISH AS PART OF THEIR CASE. >> KEPT ASKING, "HOW IS OUR GIRL?" >> EH. >> DAVID BESCHLOSS, WE HAVE -- MICHAEL BESCHLOSS, I'M SORRY. IT'S REALLY EARLY. IT IS MONDAY. >> DAVID PECKER. >> THE TWO OF US, WE'RE TWO OF A KIND, RIGHT? >> EXACTLY. >> WITNESSES TO HISTORY. >> RIGHT? BOTH OF US. >> YES, EXACTLY. SO I WAS THINKING BACK, STARTING IN 2016/2017, DONALD TRUMP STARTED CALLING THE MEDIA AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE. HE CONSTANTLY THROUGHOUT THE CAMPAIGN TALKED ABOUT FAKE NEWS. DERIDED THE MAINSTREAM PRESS. IT IS SO INTERESTING. YEAH, SOMETIMES "THE NEW YORK TIMES" GETS IT WRONG. SOMETIMES NBC GETS IT WRONG. SOMETIMES -- >> SURE. >> -- "THE POST," "THE WASHINGTON POST," SOMETIMES "THE WALL STREET JOURNAL," THEY'LL GET IT WRONG DESPITE THE EDITORS AND BEST EFFORTS. >> THEY'LL RETRACT. >> USUALLY, THEY'LL RETRACT IT AND CORRECT IT. IT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GET 1,000 STORIES RIGHT, YOU MAY GET ONE OR TWO WRONG. YET, TRUMP HAS SEIZED ON WHAT THEY'VE GOT WRONG, SOMETIMES WHAT THEY'VE GOT RIGHT, AND COMPLETELY UNDERMINED A MAJORITY OF AMERICA'S CONFIDENCE IN THE MEDIA. HERE, YOU HAVE LAID OUT THE DEFINITION OF FAKE NEWS. >> SURE. >> WE GOT TO SEE HOW DONALD TRUMP MASTERMINDED LIES ABOUT TED CRUZ, THAT HIS FATHER HAD HELPED KILL JFK. BEN CARSON DESTROYED SOMEBODY'S LIFE BY LEAVING A SPONGE IN THEIR BRAIN. HILLARY CLINTON SAYING BACK IN 2016 SHE HAS SIX MONTHS TO LIVE, WHICH, OF COURSE, HILLARY IS DOING WELL, WE CAN REPORT. >> RIGHT. >> SEVEN YEARS LATER. BUT ONE LIE AFTER ANOTHER LIE AFTER ANOTHER LIE THAT WAS PUT OUT TO VOTERS DURING THAT CAMPAIGN. YOU TALK ABOUT CYNICALLY UNDERMINING THE NEWS, IT IS A MOVE OUT OF THE OLD SOVIET PLAYBOOK. TRY TO UNDERMINE THOSE TELLING THE TRUTH, AND WHILE YOU ARE SPREADING PROPAGANDA THROUGH A FIRE HOSE OF FALSEHOODS. >> PERFECTLY PUT. AND I GUESS IF HE WERE RUNNING AGAINST KRISTI NOEM, IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN A GOOD ENOUGH STORY THAT SHE KILLS PUPPIES WHEN IT ACTUALLY HAPPENED IN REAL LIFE. THEY WOULD HAVE HAD TO INVENT SOMETHING WORSE. AMAZINGLY ENOUGH. THAT'S WHAT AUTHORITARIAN DICTATORS DO. SOVIET UNION IS EXACTLY WHERE THEY DO IT. YOU SAW PEOPLE VILIFIED, LET'S SAY AT THE ORDERS OF STALIN, WHICH THEY OFTENTIMES WERE, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE WAS A CHIEF OF POLICE CALLED BARIA. BARIA WAS FIRED. THE GREAT SOVIET ENCYCLOPEDIA, PUBLISHED BY THE GOVERNMENT, PEOPLE WERE TOLD TO TEAR OUT THE PAGE THAT MENTIONED BARIA AND INSERT A PAGE OF THE BARING STRAIT. THAT'S WHAT OUR LIVES COULD BE LIKE, UNDER THAT DICTATOR, IF IT EVER HAPPENS. YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT 1968, WHICH I THINK IS A PERFECT COMPARISON. DONALD TRUMP KNOWINGLY OR OTHERWISE IS OPERATING FROM SOME EXTENT TO RICHARD NIXON'S BLUEPRINT. YOU DON'T REMEMBER, BUT NIXON USED TO GIVE SPEECHES SAYING, WHEN RESPECT FOR THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND TUMULT IN THIS COUNTRY HAS BECOME SO -- TUMULT HAS DROWNED OUT THE PRESIDENT'S VOICE THAT HE CAN NO LONGER SPEAK ANYMORE EXCEPT FOR MILITARY BASES, IT IS TIME FOR NEW LEADERSHIP, HE SAID. JOHNSON AT THE TIME WAS NOT ABLE TO SPEAK ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES. SAME YEAR, GEORGE WALLACE WAS CAMPAIGNING IN ARENAS SAYING, "EVERYONE, LOOK AT THOSE
