Ultimately, American Media Inc., the National Enquirer's publisher, paid McDougal $150,000 in order to stay silent about the alleged affair. They also published multiple articles under her byline.

When Pecker bought the Enquirer in 1999, one of his first calls was from Trump, who said, “Congratulations — you bought a great magazine,” the former executive testified this week.

When Pecker bought the Enquirer in 1999, one of his first calls was from Trump, who said, “Congratulations — you bought a great magazine,” the former executive testified this week.

Pecker went on to say he had discussed with Trump a poll the Enquirer ran about his running for president, in which 80% of the magazine’s readership said they wanted him to run.

The Enquirer had a similar archive of files on Trump — perhaps the most amazing trove of Trump material of any national media organization — but it was not receiving the same careful review.

The National Enquirer. My last dalliance with Tabloid America was in 2010, when I wrote an approving story about the Enquirer's latest scoops, regarding John Edwards and Tiger Woods.

Once, tabloids like the National Enquirer ruled the newsstands. But even when I was riveted to its O.J. Simpson coverage, I didn't see its dark side.