International Desk

Donald Trump's arch-foe and former personal attorney Michael Cohen will undergo grueling cross-examination Tuesday, as senior Republicans increasingly politicized the trial by attending court to support the former president.

Trump, who is running to retake the White House, was joined by his most high-profile entourage to date, including House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson and possible vice presidential pick Vivek Ramaswamy.

Johnson gave a speech outside the court, reiterating Trump's constant claim that the justice system was "weaponized" against the scandal-embroiled Republican.

Cohen, who served as Trump's "fixer" for years, is the prosecution's star witness at the first criminal trial of a former occupant of the White House. Trump is accused of falsifying business records to reimburse Cohen for a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election, when her claims of a sexual encounter with Trump could have doomed his campaign.

A prosecutor asked Cohen if he received 11 checks -- most signed by Trump-- in return for 11 false invoices he submitted to be reimbursed for the payment, to which Cohen answered "yes." The dramatic courtroom faceoff is taking place ahead of the November presidential election in which Trump is hoping to avenge his 2020 defeat by Joe Biden.

Cohen answered questions from prosecutors for more than five hours on Monday and is expected to be turned over to Trump's defense attorneys later on Tuesday for a likely combative cross-examination.

The 57-year-old Cohen is crucial to the Manhattan district attorney's case, and Trump's lawyers have spent the first weeks of the trial seeking to undermine his credibility. Cohen spent 13 months in jail and another year and a half under house arrest after pleading guilty in 2018 to lying to Congress and committing financial crimes.