Trump’ s defense team continued its cross-examination of the prosecution’s “star witness,” Michael Cohen, during which even establishment media acknowledged Cohen’s lack of credibility.
More Cohen untruthiness on full display.
— Jose Pagliery (@Jose_Pagliery) May 16, 2024
This is a trip down memory lane. Blanche brings up that time Cohen swore to Congress that he never, ever asked Trump for a pardon and would never take one—only to have his lawyers correct the record the next day.https://t.co/bbLZkDWGrY
According to the Daily Beast, there was a dramatic moment when Trump lawyer Todd Blanche forced Cohen to admit he could not remember an alleged key conversation with Trump on October 26, 2016, where he supposedly green-lit a hush money deal with adult actress Stormy Daniels.
Prosecutors had previously said Cohen had called Trump’s bodyguard, Keith Schiller, and had the phone passed to Trump. However, in a heated exchange, Blanche said to Cohen, according to the report, “That. Was. A. Lie! … . You did not talk to President Trump on that night… you admit it!”
Cohen responded, “No, sir, I can’t. Because I’m not certain that’s accurate.”
Blanche asked Cohen about the real alleged reason he had called Trump’s bodyguard — to discuss calls from a prank caller he was being bombarded with.
Blanche appeared to have text message records between Cohen and the 14-year-old prank caller, where he told the caller to have his parent or guardian contact him before “secret service reaches out to them.”
Blanche said Cohen then contacted Schiller, texting him at 7:48 p.m. with, “Who can I speak to regarding harassing calls to my home and office?” According to the report:
Cohen missed Schiller’s call 13 minutes later, then phoned him right back at 8:02 p.m. Records show the call lasted one minute and 36 seconds. Immediately thereafter, Cohen sent him the prankster’s number.
“OK,” Schiller responded seconds later.
The next morning, Cohen followed up.
“Did you reach the family?” he texted Schiller at 7:58 a.m.
These phone records—which tell a wider story than the one prosecutors presented earlier this week—gave Trump’s team an opening to accuse Cohen of fabricating the true purpose of the call.
“That was a lie, because you were actually talking with Mr. Schiller,” Blanche told him.
“Part of it was the 14-year-old,” Cohen demurred, for the first time claiming that the brief call actually had two purposes.
Blanche then asked him if a one-minute, thirty-second call was enough to speak to Schiller about the prank caller as well as to Trump about a hush-money deal. Cohen argued that was enough time.
“I believe I told him everything was being resolved,” Cohen reportedly said. Blanche retorted, “We are not asking for your belief. … This jury does not want to know what you think happened.”
The trial is expected to wrap up as early as next week, with Cohen wrapping up his testimony Monday.
Court is not in session on Friday, as Trump specifically requested the day off so that he could attend his son Barron’s high school graduation ceremony.
Trump’s team is expected to present their entire case on Monday, and both sides could present closing arguments as early as Tuesday.
After leaving the courtroom on Thursday, Trump told reporters, “It was a fascinating day. And it shows what a scam this whole thing is.”
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