Donald Trump Refusing To Go After David Pecker Raises Questions

Speculation has risen as to why Donald Trump has not risked violating his gag order to attack former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker following his damning testimony in the hush money trial.

Pecker, the former head of America Media, which owns the tabloid, was the first witness to take the stand in New York in the former president’s falsifying business records trial, during which he discussed setting up an arrangement to help stop negative stories about Trump from coming out ahead of the 2016 election.

While under oath, Pecker said he had concerns about the legality of performing a so-called “catch and kill” by paying Playboy model Karen McDougal $180,000 to keep a story about an alleged affair between her and the former president from coming out ahead of the 2016 election.

Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in relation to money he arranged for Michael Cohen to pay adult film star Stormy Daniels to keep an alleged affair she had with Trump secret in the run-up to the 2016 election. Prosecutors argue that Trump, Pecker, and Cohen “orchestrated a cover-up to interfere” with the 2016 presidential election by concealing negative information about the Republican from becoming public.

Trump is currently under a gag order which aims to prevent him from making public comments about witnesses in the trial. However, prosecutors have suggested that the former president has violated this order several times, including publicly attacking Cohen in interviews and on social media.

Speaking on the LegalAF podcast, trial lawyer Michael Popok noted that Trump has so far refused to make any damning statements about Pecker, despite frequently willing to risk a fine or even jail to violate his gag order to attack Cohen.

“Donald Trump went after Cohen, he went Cohen in the opening, on social media, but he’s silent. It’s almost like he’s endorsing Pecker and that’s terrible for him,” Popok said.

“He hasn’t done a darn thing to tear down Pecker,” he added. “Pecker is dumping willingly on Donald Trump and supporting the entire case.”

Former prosecutor Karen Friedman Agnifilo also made a similar point about Trump not discussing Pecker on the same podcast.

“It’s interesting that Donald Trump has not publicly gone after David Pecker, which in some ways is like endorsing him,” she said.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, former FBI special agent Asha Rangappa suggested why Trump has not “attacked” Pecker like he is willing to do for other witnesses.

“My guess is that from Trump’s vantage point, Pecker has a lot of power, because he can create stories (including negative and even fake ones) about HIM! So he has power/leverage; not in Trump’s interest to antagonize him.”

Trump’s legal team has been contacted for comment via email.

Election lawyer Jerry Goldfeder suggested that Pecker’s testimony had “spelled out the scheme to hide Trump’s tawdry conduct” ahead of the 2016 election.

“Trump might say he was worried about Melania, but Pecker underscored the DA’s charge that influencing voters was very much behind the whole catch-and-kill plot,” Goldfeder told Newsweek.

Following Thursday’s proceedings, Trump described Pecker’s testimony as “amazing.”

“Today was breathtaking in this room… and amazing testimony,” Trump told reporters outside the court.

“This is a trial that should’ve never happened, this is a case that should’ve never been filed and it was really an incredible, an incredible day.”

During his testimony, Pecker stated that he bought McDougal’s story about her alleged affair with Trump, which was then not published by the National Enquirer, in order to help Trump’s 2016 White House bid.

“We didn’t want this story to embarrass Mr. Trump or embarrass or hurt the campaign,” Pecker said.

Pecker also described how he did not want to purchase a story about Daniels’ alleged affair with Trump.

“I said I am not purchasing this story. I am not going to be involved with a porn star,” he told the jury.