Trump's Lawyer Attacks Former Attorney In Hush-Money Trial, Says He Sought 'Revenge'

The trial pertains to whether a $130,000 hush money payment to Daniels was fraudulently covered up with the intent of influencing the 2016 presidential election. 

Former US President Donald Trump. ( Image Source :Getty images )

Donald Trump Hush Money Trial: Former US President Donald Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, testified on Tuesday in the hush money trial against Trump. Cohen, the Manhattan district attorney’s key witness in the hush money trial, was confronted by the former US President’s attorney, Todd Blanche. The trial pertains to whether a $130,000 hush money payment to adult-film star Stormy Daniels was fraudulently covered up with the intent of influencing the 2016 presidential election. 

During the cross-examination, Trump’s legal team sought to dismantle Cohen’s credibility. According to BBC, Todd Blanche cast Cohen as a man with a personal vendetta against the former president. In his opening question, Blanche tried to paint Cohen in front of the jurors as someone who hated Trump and wanted to seek revenge while making money off the former president and trying to get his jail sentence reviewed, as reported by CNN.

Former US President Trump now faces 34 counts of business fraud for allegedly disguising reimbursements for the payment to Cohen as legal expenses, the BBC reported. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and denied having sex with Daniels. At one point during the cross-examination, Trump's lawyer Todd Blanche asked if Cohen wanted to see Trump convicted in the case. Cohen responded: "Sure."

During the two-hour-long trial, Blanche tried to undermine Cohen, who was imprisoned for tax evasion, fraud, and campaign finance violations pertaining to the payment, BBC reported. He also brought up his guilty plea for lying to congress, and sought to portray Cohen as being motivated by hate and fame. 

Blanche brought to light Cohen's social media posts, podcasts, and media appearances attacking the former US President. At the start of the cross-examination, Blanche asked about a comment Cohen made about him on social media, as reported by the BBC.

Is it true, Blanche asked, that Cohen had called him a "crying little [expletive]". Cohen replied: "Sounds like something I would say," as quoted by the BBC. As the day progressed, Blanche showed some of Cohen's podcast merchandise, including a t-shirt that showed Trump in an orange jumpsuit, handcuffed.

Trump’s attorney also mentioned the two books written by Cohen, “Disloyal” and “Revenge,” and has recorded hundreds of podcasts – confirming he mentions Trump in every episode of “Mea Culpa,” as reported by CNN. Regarding Cohen’s first podcast in 2020, Blanche asked whether he called the former US President a “boorish cartoon misogynist.” “Sounds like something I would say,” Cohen responded again.

Over two days, Cohen gave details pertaining to the case before the 2016 election, walked the jury through the $130,000 he paid at Trump’s direction and described his fallout with the former president, as reported by CNN. His testimony connected the dots pertaining to the allegations levelled by the prosecution that Trump broke the law by falsifying business records to reimburse Cohen and conceal the payment.