Trump Trial Watch

Madeline Westerhout, Trump’s former executive assistant at the White House, completed her testimony on Friday, telling the defense that Trump’s personal checks were sent directly to former bodyguard Keith Schiller as a “workaround” to the slow process of using a post office box. She left the courtroom with a big smile and her head held high.

Westerhout was followed by four custodians of records. Those records included phone logs involving former Trump attorney Michael Cohen and former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg, old tweets from Trump’s @realDonaldTrump account and text messages between former National Enquirer chief-of-staff Dyland Howard and talent manager Gina Rodriguez.

Judge Juan Merchan also handed Trump a win on Friday, siding with the defense on a 1999 interview that Trump did with Larry King. The prosecution will not be allowed to introduce it into evidence.

Court snapshot: Former Judge Jeanine Pirro was back at the courthouse on Friday, this time in the actual courtroom. Trump noticed her as he left for morning recess, smiling before doing a double take and then aggressively patting her on the back. On his way back in, he acknowledged her again, shaking his stack of papers at her as he walked by.

Katherine Fung is a Newsweek reporter based in New York City who focuses on U.S. and world politics. Get in touch with Katherine via email here.

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