In Manhattan's ongoing trial against former President Donald Trump, his former fixer Michael Cohen's testimony unearthed startling revelations about Trump's mindset regarding his marriage to Melania Trump, particularly amid the Stormy Daniels affair saga.
Cohen, a key witness in the hush money case, disclosed Trump's shocking response to the potential exposure of his alleged affair with Daniels mere weeks before the 2016 election.
Amidst the possibility of Stormy going public, Cohen recalled asking his boss how things were going "upstairs" with his wife, to which Trump suggested he wouldn't be single long after. Trump's callous dismissal was stark. "How long do you think I'm going to be on the market for?" Trump allegedly quipped, displaying readiness to discard Melania if the need arose.
"He wasn't thinking about Melania," Cohen said from the stand Monday. "This was all about the campaign."
While Trump appeared indifferent to the marital implications, Cohen emphasized Trump's anxiety over the potential fallout on his presidential aspirations. He fretted over the scandal influencing his already strained relationship with female voters, confiding in Cohen, "Women will hate me. Guys—they'll think it's cool, but this is an immediate disaster for the campaign."
Cohen wasn't certain whether Melania knew about the Stormy affair but his testimony revealed Melania's role in managing the crisis. He revealed, it was Melania who suggested to spin the Access Hollywood tape incident as "locker room talk" to mitigate its impact on Trump's public image. Melania even proactively reached out to Cohen, urging him to communicate directly with Trump amidst fears of Daniels' story leaking to the press.
{{/usCountry}}Cohen wasn't certain whether Melania knew about the Stormy affair but his testimony revealed Melania's role in managing the crisis. He revealed, it was Melania who suggested to spin the Access Hollywood tape incident as "locker room talk" to mitigate its impact on Trump's public image. Melania even proactively reached out to Cohen, urging him to communicate directly with Trump amidst fears of Daniels' story leaking to the press.
{{/usCountry}}Regarding the hush money payment, Cohen divulged Trump's directive to delay payment until after the election, banking on a potential victory to neutralize the issue. However, sensing the urgency of the situation, Cohen went ahead with the payment, expecting reimbursement from Trump post-election.