Welcome to The Beat. I am Ari Melbra, and tonight we have a very big show, including an eye on this Manhattan DA probe that may be closing in on former President Trump. And tonight, in just a moment, in this very live segment, I will be including a major Trump legal figure as my guest. You're not going to hear that anywhere else right now because he's here sitting with me.

The context is Mr. Michael Cohen is heading back to testify again before this criminal grand jury

tomorrow that's investigating Trump. We know other Trump, aides, associates, and allies have been

there under oath. That includes Conway, Hicks, and others you see on the screen, which is an

indication that they

are gathering evidence that something is really happening. This is not about leaks. This is not about

conjecture. Everyone from people in New York legal circles following this to Trump's own lawyers

do see a kind of escalation. Where it lands, no one knows until they act or close out the case. The New York Times,

though, making waves late last week by saying their reporting shows likely charges against Trump.

So his attorneys have been ramping up, including going on offense. One of the top trial

attorneys out of New York, Joe Takapina, is defending Donald Trump and now calling

for a probe into the very Manhattan DA's office that is currently about to make this decision

one way or the other. And our guest right now, live on the beat, is Trump defense lawyer, Joe

Takopina. Thank you for being here and taking the questions. Thanks, Harry. Let's start looking at this case.

You have these payments.

You don't deny that Trump made this payment.

No, payments were made, obviously.

Is Stormy Daniels...

I call them extortion in payments, of course.

We'll get into it, right?

So the payments are made.

Is Stormy Daniels a lawyer?

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