National Enquirer helped Trump in 2016, ex-boss says

National Enquirer helps Trump, hurts rivals in 2016

The tabloid also buried negative stories about Trump

(Image credit: Andrew Lichtenstein / Corbis via Getty Images)

published 24 April 2024

What happened

Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker testified Tuesday that he agreed to use his tabloid to boost and shield former President Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign and publish articles, often fabricated, to damage his rivals. Pecker is the government's first witness in Trump's Manhattan criminal trial over hush money tied to election fraud.

Trump "famously calls journalists 'enemies of the people,'" but "it turns out the friendly 'journalists' of the scuzzy National Enquirer may have done as much as anyone to get him elected in 2016," Jonathan Alter said at The New York Times. Now, Pecker is "delivering devastating testimony against his old pal." Crucially for prosecutors, NPR said, "Pecker's testimony could corroborate Cohen's, which the defense is already seeking to discredit."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.