Trump Hush Money Trial
On Tuesday, Michael Cohen, who previously served as Donald Trump’s lawyer, testified in the hush money case against the former US President. Cohen, a pivotal witness for the Manhattan district attorney in this trial, faced questioning from Trump’s lawyer, Todd Blanche. The case revolves around allegations that a $130,000 payment to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels was deceptively concealed to sway the 2016 presidential election.
During cross-examination, Trump’s defense aimed to undermine Cohen’s reliability. As reported by BBC, Todd Blanche depicted Cohen as harboring a personal grudge against Trump. In his initial question to the jury, Blanche portrayed Cohen as someone who despised Trump, wanted revenge, sought financial gain from his association with Trump, and aimed to get his prison sentence reconsidered, according to CNN.
According to a BBC report, former US President Trump is now charged with 34 counts of business fraud for allegedly misrepresenting reimbursements to Cohen as legal fees. Trump has pleaded not guilty to these accusations and refuted claims of having sexual relations with Daniels. During cross-examination, Trump’s attorney Todd Blanche queried Cohen about his desire to see Trump convicted in this matter, to which Cohen replied affirmatively: “Sure.”
Throughout the two-hour trial, Blanche attempted to discredit Cohen, who had been incarcerated for tax evasion, fraud, and campaign finance infractions related to payments, according to the BBC. He also mentioned Cohen’s guilty plea for providing false testimony to Congress and tried to depict Cohen as driven by animosity and a desire for notoriety.
Blanche highlighted Cohen’s social media activity, podcasts, and media interviews where he criticized the former US President. At the beginning of the cross-examination, Blanche questioned Cohen about a comment he allegedly made about him on social media, as noted by the BBC.
“Is it true,” Blanche inquired, “that you referred to me as a ‘crying little (expletive)’?” Cohen responded, “That sounds like something I would say,” according to the BBC. As the day went on, Blanche presented some of Cohen’s podcast merchandise, including a t-shirt depicting Trump in an orange jumpsuit and handcuffs.
