Appearing on CNN the former senior vice president of corporate communications at American Media Inc. -- the parent company of the National Enquirer -- detailed the inner workings of the tabloid and said publisher David Pecker never would have made a move to pay hush money to former mistresses without the input of Donald Trump
Speaking with hosts Poppy Harlow and Jim Sciutto, Stu Zakim claimed he was not privy to the ongoing discussions between Pecker, Trump and Trump's personal attorney at the time, Michael Cohen, but he knows exactly how the tabloid publisher works.
"Pecker is cooperating, you told me you never thought he would flip," host Harlow reminded the former exec. "You thought he would stand by the president, but at the same time, he looks out for himself."
"Proof positive, look what's happening here," Zakim explained. "It was him or Trump. And in any situation, Pecker will always win -- that's what he's done. "
"Let me ask you this, because the president's essential argument here -- of many arguments and some of them contradictory -- is basically Cohen did it, or Cohen as the lawyer should have known," Sciutto pressed. "There have been multiple lies going back to April where the president denied any knowledge of these payments. In terms of the coordination between Cohen and Pecker, his involvement, could they have taken place without the president knowing, knowing the way that relationship worked?"
"I don't see how that could have happened; look how hands-on he is in everything that happens during his presidency, in his business before that" Zakim smirked. "So in my mind, not having been in the room, but clearly, I can't imagine any way that these guys would have pulled this off without Trump's support and interaction."
You can watch the video below via CNN: