Nat’l Enquirer ex-publisher says tabloid made up stories to help Trump campaign

Apr 24

Lauren Taylor Reporter

By Lauren Taylor (Reporter), Zachary Hill (Video Editor)

Bias Distribution Powered by Ground News™

Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker testified at Donald Trump’s trial Tuesday, April 23, detailing how the tabloid aimed to assist Trump in winning the White House. Pecker stated that the publication implemented its “catch and kill” strategy. That strategy involved purchasing and burying negative stories about the then-candidate during the 2016 election.

Pecker also admitted that the National Enquirer, with Trump’s assistance, fabricated and published the 2016 false story of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s father, Rafael Cruz. The story showed Rafael Cruz in a photo with Lee Harvey Oswald distributing pro-Fidel Castro flyers in New Orleans in 1963. The story insinuated that Rafael Cruz worked with Oswald prior to President John F. Kennedy’s assassination.

On the stand Tuesday, Pecker confessed that the tabliod fabricated both the photo and story.

Sen. Cruz was one of Trump’s rivals for the GOP nomination, and Trump echoed the story on the campaign trail.

“His father, I don’t know his father,” Trump remarked about the story in July 2016. “I met him once. I think he’s a lovely guy, I think he’s a lovely guy. All I did was point out the fact that on the cover of the National Enquirer there’s a picture of him and crazy Lee Harvey Oswald having breakfast. Ted never denied it was his father, instead he said ‘Donald Trump!’ I had nothing to do with it!”

On the stand, Pecker recalled a meeting at Trump Tower in New York City in 2015. Trump, Trump’s attorney Michael Cohen, Trump’s campaign communications director Hope Hicks and Pecker all attended. Pecker said they devised a plan for the National Enquirer to aid Trump’s campaign.

Pecker reiterated that Trump was directly involved in the process. He also admitted their friendship was “mutually beneficial.” He testified that he aimed to assist his friend in being elected by publishing favorable stories about him and negative stories about his competitors.

When the story about Rafael Cruz garnered attention, Sen. Cruz criticized Trump, labeling him a “pathological liar.”

Tags: 2016 Elections, 2024 Elections, Donald Trump, Election, Michael Cohen, trial, Trump investigations, Trump Organization

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

DAVID PECKER – THE NATIONAL ENQUIRER’S FORMER PUBLISHER – TESTIFIED AT PRESIDENT TRUMP’S TRIAL TUESDAY – DETAILING HOW THE TABLOID TRIED TO HELP TRUMP WIN THE WHITE HOUSE.

PECKER SAID THE PUBLICATION IMPLEMENTED ITS “CATCH AND KILL” STRATEGY – BUYING AND KILLING NEGATIVE STORIES ABOUT THE REAL ESTATE MOGUL DURING THE 2016 ELECTION.

PECKER ALSO ADMITTED – THE NATIONAL ENQUIRER WITH TRUMP’S HELP – CREATED AND PUBLISHED THE 2016 FALSE STORY OF TEXAS SENATOR TED CRUZ’S FATHER –RAFAEL CRUZ – SHOWN IN A PHOTO WITH LEE HARVEY OSWALD HANDING OUT PRO-FIDEL CASTRO FLYERS IN NEW ORLEANS IN 1963.

THE STORY IMPLIED RAFAEL CRUZ WAS IN CAHOOTS WITH OSWALD BEFORE PRESIDENT JOHN F. JENNEDY’S ASSASSINATION.

PECKER ADMITTED ON THE STAND TUESDAY – THE PHOTO AND STORY – ARE FAKE.

SENATOR CRUZ WAS ONE OF TRUMP’S RIVALS FOR THE GOP NOMINATION \ – AND TRUMP PARROTED THE STORY ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL.

[DONALD TRUMP]

“HIS FATHER, I DON’T KNOW HIS FATHER. I MET HIM ONCE. I THINK HE’S A LOVELY GUY. I THINK HE’S A LOVELY GUY. ALL I DID WAS POINT OUT THE FACT THAT ON THE COVER OF THE NATIONAL ENQUIRER THERE’S A PICTURE OF HIM AND CRAZY LEE HARVEY OSWALD HAVING BREAKFAST. TED NEVER DENIED IT WAS HIS FATHER, INSTEAD HE SAID ‘DONALD TRUMP!’ I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT!”

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

ON THE STAND TUESDAY – PECKER RECALLED A MEETING AT TRUMP TOWER IN NEW YORK CITY IN 2015 – ATTENDED BY HIMSELF, TRUMP, TRUMP’S ATTORNEY MICHAEL COHEN, AND TRUMP’S CAMPAIGN COMMUNICATIONS

DIRECTOR HOPE HICKS. PECKER SAID THEY DEVISED A PLAN FOR THE NATIONAL ENQUIRER TO HELP TRUMP’S CAMPAIGN.

PECKER SAID TRUMP WAS DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS AND ADMITTED HIS FRIENDSHIP WITH TRUMP WAS “MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL.” AND TESTIFIED THAT HE WANTED TO HELP GET HIS FRIEND ELECTED BY PUBLISHING POSITIVE STORIES ABOUT HIM AND NEGATIVE STORIES ABOUT HIS RIVALS.

WHEN THE STORY ABOUT RAFAEL CRUZ MADE HEADLINES – SENATOR TED CRUZ SLAMMED TRUMP – CALLING HIM A “PATHOLOGICAL LIAR.”