Timothy L. O'Brien, Columnist

Pecker’s Trump Trial Testimony Is a Lesson in Power Politics

The former tabloid publisher wasn’t a journalist. He was a fixer.

April 24, 2024 at 9:30 AM UTC

Timothy L. O'Brien is senior executive editor of Bloomberg Opinion. A former editor and reporter for the New York Times, he is author of “TrumpNation: The Art of Being the Donald.”

A fixer, not a journalist. — A fixer, not a journalist.
Photographer: Marion Curtis/AP

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David Pecker, convivial, accommodating and as bright as a button, sat in the witness stand in a Manhattan courtroom on Tuesday and described how power is used and abused.

“What I would do is publish positive stories about Mr. Trump,” the former tabloid hegemon and fabulist allowed, as if he was sharing some of his favorite dessert recipes. “And I would publish negative stories about his opponents.”