Tabloid boss testifies on Trump 'catch and kill' plan

Former National Enquirer publisher had mutually beneficial’ scheme to bury negative’ press ahead of the 2016 election

- ALEX WOODWARD

In his testimony during Donald Trump’s hush money trial, former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker outlined a “mutually beneficial” scheme to keep the supermarket tabloid loaded with stories boosting his election chances in 2016 while ensuring “negative” stories never saw the light of day.

As part of the arrangement, Mr Pecker would tip off Mr Trump’s then personal attorney Michael Cohen to “negative” stories about then candidate Trump – particularly those involving women, according to Mr Pecker.

The former American Media Inc CEO – now the trial’s first witness – joined Mr Cohen and Mr Trump during a nowinfamous meeting in August 2015 at Trump Tower in Manhattan, where he was asked “what can I do and what could my magazines do to help the campaign,” he said yesterday.

“I said, what I would do is I would run or publish positive stories about Mr Trump and publish negative stories about his opponents. And I said I would also – I would also be the eyes and ears,” he said. “If I hear anything negative about women selling stories, I would notify Michael Cohen, and he would be able to have them killed in the magazine, or not be published, or somebody would have to purchase them.”