The most unbelievable moments from Trump's hush money trial

Trump's hush money trial was a historic event in the US. It was the first time a US President sat in the courthouse and was found guilty of a crime.

Trump's trial differed from others: from unnecessary but explicit or surprising revelations about the defendant or critical witnesses to the moments the judge lost his patience.

CNN and The New York Times journalists described the trial's most surprising, dramatic, and relevant moments before Trump became the first former president convicted of a crime.

The prosecutor's key witness, Michael Cohen, testified about lying under oath twice before the trial. The prosecution hoped that those admissions would clear the air with the jury.

However, the defense's strategy for disqualifying Cohen was clear. Trump's attorneys pressed Cohen for hours with questions about his crime history. They presented him as unreliable, leading to one of the funniest moments in the trial.

According to New York Times reporter Johan Bromwich, during closing arguments, Trump's attorney, Todd Blanche, called Cohen the MVP of lying and the GLOAT (Greatest Liar of All Time).

The defense also pressured Cohen on a phone call. The call was to Trump's bodyguard number, but he said he also talked to the President about the hush payment.

Blanche claimed he didn't have enough time in the one-minute, 36-second call to discuss the payment with Trump and complain to his bodyguard about a 14-year-old harassing him with prank calls.

To prove the defense wrong, the prosecutor, Joshua Steinglass, took out his phone, started a timer, and pretended to be Cohen. It took him 49 seconds. He also apologized if his acting was terrible.

Another surprising moment involved Stormy Daniels, the adult film star who allegedly received Trump's hush payments. Despite not being related to the case, she described their encounter in great detail.

Daniels told the fully-packed courthouse how she spanked Trump with a magazine that featured him on the cover, and details so explicit, the judge had to cut her off. All while Trump cursed silently.

After Trump silently cursed, Judge Juan Merchan approached the former president warned him not to do such things. He told Blanche he went to him because he didn't want to embarrass Trump.

Still, in another surprising moment, Merchan publicly warned Trump that he could face jail time if he continued to violate a gag order that barred him from talking about witnesses during the trial.

But that wasn't Merchan's final straw. The judge completely lost his patience during the testimony of Robert Costello. According to CNN, he cleared the room to admonish him—an extraordinary move.

Other witnesses also had surprising moments. Former White House communications director Hope Hicks and Trump's former personal assistant, Madeleine Westerhout, cried on the stand while being examined by the defense.

According to the CNN reporters, their work was also unusual: the courtroom was packed, so they had an overflow room, and outside "line-sitters" made a lucrative business of saving places in line for those who wanted to enter.

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