The cross-examination of Michael Cohen begins:
TODD BLANCHE: On April 23 you went on TikTok and called me a "crying little shit."
COHEN: That sounds like something I would say.
(Prosecution objects, judge sustains, exchange stricken.)(via Kyle Cheney, everybody)
blanche: on may fifth you said and i quote todd blanche blows goats for quarters and then posted this picture of a goat, presumably, that i had blown
cohen: yeah i remember that
it’s so funny though that cohen basically just said “yes” and the prosecution shut the line of questioning down before it could even go anywhere, something he should have expected
Or try to walk it back or something like that to make him seem deceptive. Cohen probably needs to own the "yeah I'm an asshole, that's why Trump relied on me" angle. It'd probably make him seem more believable.
No, they're angling to have the entire trial thrown in a mistrial.
Pulling up stuff like this gives them ammo to use as a grievance for the judge allowing a combative witness.
It doesn't matter, their play is to throw the trial enough that they can guarantee a series of appeals all the way to the sycophants in the SCOTUS. They'll likely try and take it all the way to the NY supreme court, then ask for the federal supreme court to weigh in, even if its unconstitutional
Because DJT wants them to bring it up. There have been very, very little material defense of their client throughout this entire trial; the cross examination of all these witnesses has become this giant checklist of airing out all of Trump's personal grievances with them.
I keep MSNBC on in the background during the day while I'm working, and I can tell even from casually listening to their analysis that Trump is having his lawyers air out his personal & political grievances instead of putting up an actual defense. They plan to "win" on appeal, not with the jury.
Yes, I read this last night, and I agree with every single word of this. Trump's insistence on what his lawyers must argue with and pick apart has turned this trial into something that it really did NOT have to be.
The facts of the prosecution aren't actually all that strong, it really is a he said/she said sort of case, but they've spent so much time nitpicking at what he PERSONALLY doesn't like about every witness's testimony that they're letting an otherwise limp case waddle through right in front of them.
I am impressed Cohen did not reply "Would you like me to repeat that under oath? I'd be glad to."
I mean, I know *I'd* be tempted. I'd try to resist, too, of course, but when someone pitches you one right over the plate like that...
😂 One of my favorite trial experiences ever was introducing into evidence harassing text messages from the opposing party to my client which included slurs and rants directed at me, the judge, and his own lawyer. The death stares that darted around the room for the rest of the day were epic.
I was once a witness against the police in a case of a violent cop against a Black motorist.
After I testified, the defense attorney for the motorist told me I said something harmful to the case.
But the Cook County assistant state's attorney was so focused on being an asshole to me for testifying against the cop that he buried tge piece of my testimony that would have helped his case.
