During the criminal trial of former U.S. President Donald Trump, his defense lawyer Todd Blanche challenged Michael Cohen’s testimony, accusing him of lying about a phone conversation with Trump regarding hush money paid to Stormy Daniels.
Blanche argued that Cohen misrepresented the nature of the conversation, claiming it was about harassment from a prank caller rather than the payment.
Blanche emphasized Cohen’s alleged lies, including previous false statements to Congress and seeking a pardon from Trump privately while publicly claiming otherwise.
He sought to portray Cohen as a vindictive betrayer of his former boss, playing audio clips where Cohen expressed delight at the case and imagined Trump in prison.
Cohen maintained his composure throughout the questioning, acknowledging personal stakes in the trial’s outcome.
The trial, part of four criminal prosecutions against Trump, is significant as the only one likely to reach a verdict before the presidential election rematch with Joe Biden.
Cohen’s testimony is crucial to the case, where he claimed Trump directed him to pay Daniels to protect his campaign, arranging reimbursement through fake legal invoices.
Trump faces charges of falsifying business records related to the Daniels payment, which prosecutors argue involved campaign finance violations.
The defense’s strategy remains uncertain, with questions lingering over whether Trump will testify. Blanche suggested Trump’s decision to testify is pending.
