'This could be a very big story, so I believe that it should be removed from the market

'This could be a very big story, so I believe that it should be removed from the market'," Mr Pecker said he would advise the former president about killing certain articles.

Mr Pecker's testimony could prove critical for prosecutors as they seek to prove that Mr Trump tried to influence the election by quelling a story of an alleged affair.

Mr Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records.

Prosecutors allege he tried to cover up a $130,000 (£104,500) payment to porn star Stormy Daniels before he won the race for the White House back in 2016.

Continuing his testimony from Monday as the trial's first witness, Mr Pecker said he met Mr Trump in the late 1980s and eventually became good friends with the former president