NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: During the hush money trial on Thursday, April 25, text messages were presented before the court, shedding light on discussions between former National Enquirer editor-in-chief Dylan Howard and a family member regarding a potential pardon from then-President Donald Trump for "electoral fraud" in 2016.

In the exchanged messages, Howard contemplated traveling to California in 2016 to meet with former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who alleged an affair with Trump. When questioned about the purpose of his visit, Howard responded cryptically, stating that possessing information "is powerful", hinting at potential leverage.

Pardon speculations

Another text message from Howard floated the idea of receiving a pardon if Trump emerged victorious in the 2016 presidential election. “At least if he wins, I’ll be pardoned for electoral fraud,” Howard quipped.

However, the text did not indicate any direct communication between Trump and Howard regarding such a pardon.

The disclosure of these text messages arose as Judge Juan Merchan deliberated over their admissibility as evidence. Merchan temporarily excluded them, deeming the conversation between Howard and his family member as private and not pertinent to the trial's proceedings.

The prosecution's argument revolves around the notion that agreements made with National Enquirer publisher David Pecker to suppress damaging information about Trump unduly influenced the 2016 election, which the former president ultimately won.

The context of these text messages was unveiled during Pecker's testimony, focusing on the "catch-and-kill" operations orchestrated by the National Enquirer to bury stories involving McDougal, actress Stormy Daniels, and a Trump Tower doorman. These efforts aimed to shield Trump from negative publicity during his presidential campaign.

McDougal was among the individuals allegedly paid off to remain silent about her purported affair with Trump, a claim vehemently denied by the former president. Pecker detailed how he collaborated with Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen to secure McDougal's story and prevent its publication elsewhere.

Pecker emphasized that their objective was to prevent any revelations from tarnishing Trump's image or adversely impacting his campaign. “We didn’t want the story to embarrass Mr. Trump or embarrass or hurt the campaign,” he stated, referring to himself and Cohen.

Social media reactions

Social media platforms buzzed with reactions following the emergence of Howard's text regarding a potential pardon from Trump.

"Of course," one posted on X.

"Conman will con, man," another wrote.

"Why do SO MANY people in Trump’s inner circle need a pardon if they did 'nothing wrong'?" someone else asked.

"What is most striking about the AMI stories is that David Pecker held incredible sway over the president. He could bribe the president for favors. All the reasons why Trump should never hold office, again," another commented.

Pecker's testimony has illuminated the utilization of "checkbook journalism" to silence individuals with damaging information about Trump. The hush money case against Trump primarily focuses on payments made by Cohen to Daniels to suppress her allegations of an affair with the former president.

Trump faces charges of falsifying business records related to reimbursements made to Cohen for the $130,000 payment to Daniels, The Hill reported.