Former President Trump’s ex-fixer Michael Cohen officially underwent long-anticipated, fiery cross-examination by his former client’s defense team Tuesday, culminating into the New York hush money trial’s main event.
Cohen, under direct examination by prosecutors, has implicated Trump more than any other witness over a $130,000 hush money scheme involving a porn actress and attempting to link Trump directly with what prosecutors deem as fraudulent business transactions
Follow below for recap from New York.
As the former president’s motorcade left the courthouse, he gave fist pumps as he passed by a small crowd of his supporters lined up on the sidewalk and cheering, some of whom were waving pro-Trump flags.
The building they were standing in front of? The courthouse where Sen. Bob Menendez’s (D-N.J.) corruption trial kicked off this week.
— Zach Schonfeld
Trump addressed reporters outside the courtroom for roughly 10 minutes after court adjourned for the day, bashing the Biden administration over immigration, inflation and foreign policy and attacking the hush money case.
Trump read from a document that contained quotes from pundits who were critical of the trial and supportive of the former president.
“We’ll be back tomorrow,” Trump said. “Again, we had a very good day. I think we’re exposing this scam for what it is.”
— Brett Samuels
The court has adjourned for the day.
The trial does not meet on Wednesdays, so Trump attorney Todd Blanche will resume his questioning of Cohen on Thursday morning.
Blanche indicated his questioning will take up most, if not all of Thursday.
“Yes — if I finish, it’s going to be at the end of day, I anticipate, your honor,” he said.
— Zach Schonfeld
Cohen acknowledged making more than $3 million from his two books.
“How much money have you made from ‘Revenge’?” Blanche asked.
After a long pause, Cohen responded, “I don’t know exactly but I would say around $400,000.”
Cohen then confirmed he made about $2 million from his book “Disloyal” in the first few months and then “maybe another million dollars” after that.
A legal analyst who works at Blanche’s firm had walked into the courtroom following the afternoon break with Cohen’s two books in hand.
— Zach Schonfeld
Trump attorney Todd Blanche has asked Cohen a series of questions about a Rule 35 motion, which allows criminal defendants to get their sentences reduced if they have provided substantial assistance in prosecuting another person.
Cohen met with special counsel Robert Mueller’s office during its investigation of connections between Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russia, as well as the Manhattan district attorney’s office in its investigation that culminated in last year’s indictment.
Blanche appears to be suggesting that Cohen was cooperating with the Trump investigations at least in part to get his own sentence reduced.
Cohen acknowledged that his attorneys had discussed with the district attorney’s office whether it would be willing to help write a Rule 35 motion.
— Zach Schonfeld
Trump attorney Todd Blanche raised Cohen’s public statements suggesting he wants to see Trump convicted.
“Do you want President Trump to get convicted in this case?” Blanche asked.
“Sure,” Cohen replied, after repeatedly refusing to give a direct answer.
— Zach Schonfeld
Trump attorney Todd Blanche is bringing up Cohen’s statements praising his then-boss when he worked for Trump.
Blanche noted that Cohen had called Trump a good man who cares deeply about the country, even saying he’d take a bullet for Trump.
“I was knee-deep into the cult of Donald Trump,” Cohen said.
— Zach Schonfeld
Trump attorney Todd Blanche entered into evidence screenshots showing how Cohen’s podcast, “Mea Culpa,” sells shirts depicting Trump behind bars.
Cohen acknowledged it is “one item” in the merchandise store and that he wore the shirt during one of his recent TikTok livestreams
— Zach Schonfeld
Trump attorney Todd Blanche is continuing to use Cohen’s public statements against him, now asking the witness about his recent TikTok livestreams.
“What’s the goal of doing that?” Blanche asked.
“Build an audience,” Cohen responded. “Create a community. To really vent, because I’ve been having a difficult time sleeping. So I found an out.”
After further prodding, Cohen did concede he charges people $5.99 per month for a subscription but insisted he doesn’t make a lot of money from his TikTok.
— Zach Schonfeld
Despite the testimony turning testy, Trump has continued to keep his eyes closed for most of Cohen’s cross-examination so far.
The jury has generally been stone-faced throughout the trial, but a few members have cracked smiles as Trump’s attorney raises Cohen’s social media posts and cable news appearances.
— Zach Schonfeld
Hoffinger, the prosecutor who conducted Cohen’s direct examination, has objected to Blanche’s questioning numerous times in the first minutes of his cross-examination.
Blanche has brought up numerous moments during the district attorney’s investigation when it seemed likely that Cohen had leaked information, but that information is not being shown to the gallery.
— Ella Lee
Blanche referenced to a post Cohen made April 23, after the trial had started, referring to Trump as a “dictator douchebag.”
“Sounds like something I said,” Cohen replied, causing a juror to crack a smile.
The Trump attorney also questioned whether the Manhattan district attorney had “repeatedly” asked Cohen to stop talking publicly about the case.
“They might have, yes,” Cohen said.
— Ella Lee
The cross-examination of Michael Cohen began just before 2:20 p.m. on Tuesday.
Trump attorney Todd Blanche’s first line of questioning, about whether Cohen knows him, has already gotten off to a fiery start.
Cohen confirmed he’s never met Blanche, but conceded he knows who the attorney is.
Blanche noted that, in April, Cohen called him a “crying little shit.”
“Sounds like something I would say,” Cohen said, drawing an objection that was sustained.
— Ella Lee
Cohen testified that he wishes he did not “lie” and “bully” others while working for Trump when asked about his regrets.
“Mr. Cohen, do you have any regrets about your past work and association with Donald Trump?” Susan Hoffinger asked, to which Cohen affirmatively replied.
“I regret doing things for them that I should not have — lying, bullying people in order to effectuate a goal,” Cohen said. “I don’t regret working at the Trump Organization. As I expressed before, some very interesting, great times.
“But to keep the loyalty and to do the things that he had asked me to do — it violated my moral compass, and I suffered the penalty, as has my family,” he continued.
With that, prosecutors rested their direct examination of Cohen. After the lunch break, he’ll face cross-examination by Trump’s attorneys.
— Ella Lee
Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger is having Cohen explain his various podcast and book ventures since pleading guilty, including how he regularly spoke about Trump.
Cohen said he wrote his book, “Disloyal: A Memoir: The True Story of the Former Personal Attorney to President Donald J. Trump,” while in prison to help with “time management.”
“It helps the time go by quicker,” Cohen said.
On cross-examination, Trump’s lawyers are expected to hit Cohen hard over his statements in the books and podcasts to portray him as out to get his former boss.
— Zach Schonfeld