Cohen stated in court on Monday that “the only thing that was on my mind was to accomplish the task, to make him [Trump] happy.”
Regarding a hush-money payment Cohen claims he made to an adult film actor on behalf of the former president, Mr. Trump has entered a not guilty plea.
Cohen’s testimony came before Mr. Trump and his former lawyer exchanged scathing barbs on social media. However, the ex-friends didn’t even exchange glances for hours on Monday.
It was one of the rare occasions the two had recently shared a room since Cohen, 57, began working for Mr. Trump, 77, many years ago.
Cohen, a Long Island native and the son of a Holocaust survivor, claimed that he had no desire to practice law but that his grandmother had forced him to.