Michael Cohen said he had been “knee deep into the cult of Donald Trump” as he testified for a second day in the ex-president’s trial.

As Trump‘s defence tried to paint the former lawyer and ‘fixer’ as a bitter and fame-hungry former acolyte, he denied being obsessed by his former boss but said he had once “admired him tremendously”.

He is testifying in the case about hush money payments to ex-porn star Stormy Daniels in an attempt to cover up an alleged sexual encounter in 2006.

Trump trial – Day 17 as it happened

Such payouts aren’t illegal, but Trump is accused of falsifying business records to hide it – a claim he denies.

He told the court on Tuesday that loyalty was the reason he kept lying about the payment when it came out in the media.

In 2016 he described Trump as kind, humble, honest and genuine.

The defence asked whether he had believed what he was saying.

“At the time, I was knee-deep into the cult of Donald Trump,” he responded, adding: “I was not lying, no, that’s how I felt.”

Mr Cohen admitted he “missed Trump” at times after he became president.

They have also pointed to hundreds of media appearances, podcasts and interviews in which the disgraced lawyer has mentioned him.

His credibility was under attack as Mr Cohen has previously admitted lying under oath.

The 57-year-old was jailed after pleading guilty in 2018 to charges relating to the hush money payment and other unrelated offences.

He said that after a FBI raid on his home the same year, Trump had messaged him: “I am the president of the United States, everything is going to be okay, stay tough”.

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Donald Trump denies the liaison with Stormy Daniels and says Mr Cohen acted on his own initiative when he made the payment.

The former lawyer denied that claim in earlier evidence, saying “everything required Trump’s sign-off”.

‘I violated my moral compass’

Mr Cohen – who once said he would take a bullet for his boss – admitted at the end of questioning on Tuesday that he “violated my moral compass” while working for Donald Trump.

“I regret doing things for him that I should not have,” he told the New York court. “Lying, bullying people in order to effectuate the goal.

“I don’t regret working for the Trump Organisation – as I expressed before, [those were] some very interesting, great times,” he added.

“But to keep the loyalty and to do things that he had asked me to do, I violated my moral compass, and I suffered the penalty, as did my family. That is my failure.”

On Monday, the court heard him testify about setting up a shell company to make the $130,000 hush money out of his own money.

Prosecutors say Trump later paid the money back and covered it up by recording it as a legal retainer fee.

He faces 34 counts of falsifying business records over the claims.

Trump – who will take on Joe Biden in his bid to become president again in November – is unlikely to face a custodial sentence if found guilty.

His other cases are potentially more damaging but mired in delays.

They concern allegations of keeping stacks of secret documents after leaving office and trying to overturn his 2020 election defeat. He denies the claims.

Eight people have died and another eight were critically injured after a bus carrying farm workers crashed and overturned in Florida.

The bus was transporting 53 workers when it collided with a pickup truck in Marion County, north of Orlando, the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) said.

The bus then swerved off State Road 40 – a hilly two-lane road that goes through farms – and crashed through a fence, before overturning, authorities said.

The incident took place at 6.35am local time on Tuesday and it is unclear why the two vehicles crashed.

A total of 40 people needed hospital treatment – eight of whom are in a critical condition, the Marion County Fire Rescue confirmed to NBC News.

The driver of the truck was also taken to hospital and more than 30 ambulances attended the scene, NBC News added.

Lieutenant Pat Riordan, from the FHP, told reporters some of those injured are “in very serious condition” and there’s a “high probability” the number of dead could rise.

“At this point, we are conducting a massive traffic homicide investigation,” he said.

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Torrential rain and thunderstorms have hit some US regions in recent days – including Marion County – and authorities will be investigating if the weather contributed to the collision.

Photographs from the scene show the bus on its side, with both its rear emergency door and top hatch open.

The farm workers were being transported to Cannon Farms in Dunnellon, where watermelon harvesting has been taking place.

Following the crash, a post on the farm’s social media account said it will “be closed today out of respect to the losses and injuries endured early this morning”.

“Please pray with us for the families and the loved ones involved in this tragic accident,” the post continued. “We appreciate your understanding at this difficult time.”

Cannon Farms is a family-owned business that has been operational for more than 100 years, according to its website.

They now focus on peanuts and watermelons, which they supply to grocery stores across the US and Canada.

The vehicle transporting the workers was a 2010 International Bus and the pickup truck was a 2001 Ford Ranger, authorities said.

Donald Trump “wasn’t thinking about (his wife) Melania” when he paid off a former porn star, his former lawyer has testified.

Michael Cohen told a court Mr Trump personally approved $130,000 in hush money to Stormy Daniels over an alleged 2006 sexual encounter.

The payout isn’t illegal, but Mr Trump is accused of falsifying records to hide it – a claim he denies.

On Monday, his trial in New York heard from Mr Cohen, once a lawyer and self-described “fixer” for the ex-president.

Mr Trump’s lawyers have painted the hush money as an attempt to protect his wife from rumours and upset.

However, Mr Cohen said his boss was purely concerned with keeping the claims quiet as he ran for the presidency.

“He wasn’t thinking about Melania. This was all about the campaign,” he said, prompting Mr Trump to shake his head in response.

Mr Cohen told the court he’d heard Stormy Daniels was considering selling her story and he told his boss swift action was required.

Mr Trump denies the affair and his lawyers say Mr Cohen acted on his own – a claim he denied in court.

He told jurors in Manhattan that “everything required Mr Trump’s sign-off” and he was ordered to “just do it”.

Mr Cohen said he stumped up the $130,000 himself after Mr Trump told him he would pay him back.

He said he set up a shell company – listed as a “real estate consulting company” – to make the payment.

Prosecutors say Mr Trump later paid the money back and covered it up by recording it as a legal retainer fee.

He faces 34 counts of falsifying business records over the claims.

Read more:
Porn stars, sex scandals and zzzs: A to Z of Trump trial

The court also heard a recording of a conversation between Mr Trump and Mr Cohen over hush money said to have been paid to another woman, former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who he also allegedly had an affair with.

Mr Cohen suggests in the recording setting up another company to repay David Pecker – who said he provided the $150,000 to cover up the story.

The former National Enquirer boss previously testified he bought the story to keep it hidden and eventually decided against seeking reimbursement.

Later in the recording, Mr Trump can be heard suggesting the $150,000 might be better off being paid in cash.

Mr Cohen told the court this was to “avoid any type of paper transaction”.

The 57-year-old – who once said he would take a bullet for Mr Trump – worked for him for nearly a decade.

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He pleaded guilty to violating campaign finance law in 2018 over the Stormy Daniels payment and was jailed, but at the time prosecutors did not bring charges against Mr Trump.

Mr Cohen’s credibility is in the sights of defence lawyers as he has previously admitted lying under oath.

Mr Trump – who will take on Joe Biden in his bid to become president again in November – is unlikely to face a custodial sentence if found guilty.

His other cases are potentially more damaging but mired in delays.

They concern allegations of keeping stacks of secret documents after leaving office and trying to overturn his 2020 election defeat. He denies the claims.