The ongoing New York trial against former President Trump took another unexpected turn on Tuesday when his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, made explosive admissions on the witness stand. Cohen, who famously handled the Stormy Daniels case on behalf of Trump, faced tough questioning from Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche. During the cross-examination, Cohen was forced to confront comments he made on his podcast, expressing a strong desire to see Trump in prison.
It’s not every day someone’s lawyer comes to Congress to say their client is a liar.
Michael Cohen’s lies are defined by his other lies. He has lied to investigators, Congress, and the courts.
This LIAR should not be able to hold our elections hostage! pic.twitter.com/kcGJYF9dCf
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) May 15, 2024
The episode in question, which aired on October 23, 2020, featured Cohen voicing his fervent hope that Trump would end up behind bars. Blanche highlighted this statement and others, labeling them as potentially damaging to Cohen’s credibility. The former lawyer tried to downplay his comments, citing the name of his podcast, “Mea Culpa,” but the damage was already done. Cohen’s statements could sway the jury to see him as unhinged and vengeful, tarnishing the case against Trump.
In addition to his controversial podcast comments, Cohen’s location during the recording was also questioned. Blanche mistakenly referred to it as a prison, but Cohen quickly corrected him, making sure the court knew it was just a “condo.” This correction happened in the presence of Judge Juan Merchan and Trump himself, who was seen fidgeting with a pair of vintage-style headphones, intently listening to the audio recording.
The audio recording and Cohen’s subsequent admission of “I heard that, yes,” further reinforced his animosity towards Trump. Blanche then brought up other insults Cohen has hurled at his former boss, such as calling him a “boorish cartoon misogynist” and a “Cheeto-dusted cartoon villain.” Cohen did not deny making these statements, showcasing his deep-seated hatred towards Trump.
Michael Cohen admits calling Trump ‘Cheeto-dusted cartoon villain’ as ex-prez’s lawyers try to paint him as scorned, lying hater https://t.co/GFks9rNEYH pic.twitter.com/t1gIyPxzjF
— New York Post (@nypost) May 14, 2024
The cross-examination also revealed Cohen’s penchant for TikTok as his late-night escape. He admitted to hosting live sessions on the app for over an hour each night, discussing his frustrations over his sleeplessness and opinions about Trump. When pushed by Blanche, Cohen admitted to expressing a desire to see Trump held accountable and convicted on his podcast.
It’s not every day someone’s lawyer comes to Congress to say their client is a liar.
Michael Cohen’s lies are defined by his other lies. He has lied to investigators, Congress, and the courts.
This LIAR should not be able to hold our elections hostage! pic.twitter.com/kcGJYF9dCf
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) May 15, 2024
To further undermine Cohen’s credibility, Blanche brought up merchandise from Cohen’s website, which featured items like a T-shirt with Trump in a prison jumpsuit and a coffee mug declaring, “Send him to the big house, not the White House.” Cohen confirmed these were digs at Trump and even admitted to wearing the T-shirt in a recent TikTok video.
Trump defense shatters credibility of star prosecution witness
👉 Michael Cohen admitted that he sells merchandise with negative messages about the former president and that he talks about him six days a week on his podcasthttps://t.co/yVCtxePful
— VOZ (@Voz_US) May 16, 2024
The questioning exposed Cohen’s deep disdain and hatred towards Trump, raising doubts about his reliability as a witness. With each admission, Cohen’s credibility is called into question, potentially impacting the outcome of the trial. The court must now carefully weigh Cohen’s statements and motivations as they continue their pursuit of justice against the former president.