Daniels' Lawyer on Election Night: 'What Have We Done?'

Thursday's testimony in Donald Trump's hush-money trial again featured the former attorney for Stormy Daniels, who was asked about election-night texts he sent to the editor of the National Enquirer in 2016:

• "What have we done?" attorney Keith Davidson wrote to editor Dylan Howard when it became clear that Trump would win, reports ABC News. "Oh my god," responded Howard.
• Davidson told the court his question was a bit of "gallows humor." Elaborating, he said, "There was an understanding that our efforts may have in some way—strike that—our activities may have in some way assisted the presidential campaign of Donald Trump." Davidson crafted deals with the tabloid to buy and bury stories about alleged Trump affairs with Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal.

• As the AP explains, prosecutors are trying to show that the case is about election interference, not merely extramarital affairs. Davidson is seen as a major player in the "catch-and-kill" strategy on behalf of Trump to suppress negative news about him.
• However, the defense made a point to have Davidson clarify that he negotiated only with former Trump attorney Michael Cohen, not Trump himself, per the New York Times. They are trying to depict Cohen "as the driving force behind the deal because he desperately wanted a White House job." On the stand, Davidson said: "I had no personal interactions with Donald Trump. It either came from my clients, Mr. Cohen, or some other source, but certainly not him." Cohen has yet to testify.

(More Trump hush-money trial stories.)