A convicted liar as the main witness in the hush money trial against Donald Trump: During cross-examination, Michael Cohen is caught up in explosive false statements.
In the hush money trial against Donald Trump, the former US President’s defense put pressure on the key witness because of past false statements and questioned his credibility. Defense attorney Todd Blanche sharply questioned Trump’s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen on Thursday in New York about his repeated lies, including in a US Congressional hearing where Cohen was under oath, as he was in court. In Trump’s presence, the witness confirmed the untrue statements, as the media present in the courtroom unanimously reported.
Blanche also played recordings from Cohen’s podcast in which the former Trump confidant vowed revenge on his ex-boss and expressed the hope that Trump would “rot” in prison. The defense tried to show the jury that the key witness in the trial had an opportunistic character and had no problem telling untruths as long as he achieved his goals. US media described that the 57-year-old behaved a little more defensively than on Tuesday, when he was sometimes argumentative.
Alleged one-night stand
The lawsuit involves the accusation that Trump wanted to improve his chances of winning the 2016 presidential election by paying porn star Stormy Daniels $130,000 so that she would not go public about an alleged one-night stand with Trump .
The transaction itself, which was not disputed by either party, was not illegal. Trump, now 77 years old, is said to have manipulated documents when refunding the amount provided by Cohen in order to hide the true reason for the payment. From the perspective of the prosecution, it was therefore illegal campaign financing. Trump has pleaded not guilty in the first criminal trial against an ex-president in US history.
Trump was dressed in a red tie and a blue suit. According to reports, he behaved more animatedly during the hearing than on Tuesday and followed the questioning attentively. Even on what was probably his last day with Cohen on the witness stand, Trump brought an entourage of supporters into the courtroom. In addition to his son Eric, the right-wing Republican MPs Lauren Boebert and Matt Gaetz were also present.
Process on the home stretch
Cohen is considered a problematic key witness because of many public lies in the past. The hush money payments to Daniels have been a concern for the US justice system for years. Cohen was found guilty in this context in 2018 and served a prison sentence for, among other things, making false statements. At the time, Trump was still president and was not prosecuted by prosecutors. The current trial opened in April with Cohen as the main prosecution witness. He turned against Trump when he dumped him.
Meanwhile, an end to the trial is in sight: Cohen is the last witness for the prosecution. It is then up to the defense to call exonerating witnesses before closing arguments. That could happen next week at the earliest. The trial is paused on Friday because Trump wants to attend his son Barron’s graduation party. At the end of the trial, the twelve jurors must reach a unanimous decision. Judge Juan Merchan would determine the sentence if convicted. Trump faces several years in prison, which could be suspended.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
