Donald Trump pumps his fist after hours of testimony: His loyal former staff ... trends now
Donald Trump's relief was clear as Monday's first witness left the court.
For three hours the former president's head bobbed left and right, soaking up the dense financial details of former Trump Organization controller Jeff McConney's testimony.
Then it was over.
Trump pumped his first twice as the bearded, bear-like frame of McConney made his way from the stand. For his part, the former Trump Organization employee nodded at Eric Trump, sitting in the front row of the court, and let out a long, slow breath.
Trump insiders saw it as a good morning.
Former President Donald Trump pumped his fist as his former controller Jeff McConney spent Monday morning giving evidence. Trump looked relieved that his evidence was not worse
Trump has denied all 34 counts of falsifying business records at Manhattan criminal court
A relatively low-level figure had delivered a dull tour of invoices, accounting software and months and months of emails, while building up the role of Michael Cohen, the former-fixer-turned turncoat, as a lone wolf before trashing him.
Confessions of a porn star this was not.
Yet it marked the heart of the case against the former and possibly future president, who denies 34 counts of fiddling business documents to hide hush money payments before the 2016 election.
And the jury listened intently to key discussions of 1099 tax forms, ledger entries and message chains.
At times their heads snapped left to listen to prosecutor Matthew Colangelo's questions then swiveled right to hear McConney's answers, as if they were watching a championship tennis rally not a legal ding dong.
McConney, with his curtains of white hair falling on either side of his face, played the role of Trump loyalist forced to testify by a subpoena.
He made clear he had lost none of his affection for his former boss and at times dished dirt on Cohen, the once loyal fixer who set up the hush money payments at the heart of this trial before turning on Trump.
He was asked what Cohen did for the Trump Organization.
'Uh, he said he was a lawyer,' McConney answered pointedly, triggering the first giggles from the public gallery.
Cohen could be the prosecution's biggest asset and biggest risk. He has admitted his role in paying $130,000 to Stephanie Clifford, better known as Stormy Daniels, for her silence ahead of the 2016 election.
Former Trump lawyer will be a key witness for the prosecution when he appears. But his credibility is on the line and former Trump staff have already ridiculed him from the stand
McConney arriving a Manhattan criminal court to give evidence on Monday morning
Last week it was former Trump White House director of communications Hope Hicks who ridiculed Cohen. She broke down in tears at the end of her testimony
Trump and Hicks in happier times, seen here outside the Oval Office as they leave for Cleveland, Ohio, on March 29, 2018
Hicks looked fragile and conflicted on the stand, giving evidence against a former boss that she clearly still adored. McConney also expressed fondness for the former president
But he has been barred
