The Source With Kaitlan Collins: Maggie Haberman & Elie Honig On The Hush Money Trial

Posted on May 22, 2024 by FredSchneiderUS

CNN_ Here's What Elie Honig Says 'Blew His Mind' Furing Final Day of Testimony in Donald Trump TrialSource:CNN legal analyst Elie Honig.

Source:The New Democrat

“CNN senior legal analyst Elie Honig reacts to the prosecution and defense arguing about how jury instructions should proceed in former president Donald Trump’s hush money trial.”

From CNN

“Robert Ray, a former member of former President Trump’s first impeachment legal team, joins our legal panel to share his thoughts on how he thinks the defense team is doing so far in Michael Cohen’s cross-examination.”

From The New Democrat

Just to start off: CNN has one of their national political analysts, as well as New York Times political reporter Maggie Haberman there, to talk about Robert Costello’s testimony and the impact that might have on the jury. She’s a great political reporter, one of the best in the business, but she’s not a lawyer.

And then CNN has one of their top legal analysts, perhaps their senior legal analyst Elie Honig there to criticize the Manhattan DA about how they’re handling the jury instructions. And they sort of get into the impact of Donald Trump not testifying at his own trial, with their defense lawyer Arthur Aidala sort of spinning and arguing that it might not be so bad if he testified for himself because he’s accomplished things that no one else has before. With again political reporter (not lawyer) Maggie Habberman stating the fact that:

“The last time that Donald Trump testified for himself, it cost himself 83 million dollars. With Aidala firing back:

“But that was in front of Judge Lewis Kaplan.” with Haberman saying: “But it’s the jury that rewarded Jeanne Carroll the 83 million.”

Again, with the legal analyst Elie Honig having nothing to say on that.

But as James Earl Jones with his great manly voice said about CNN in the 1990s: “This is CNN” well, this is CNN now. As someone whose been a regular viewer of there’s since Donald J. Trump became a major political player back in the 2010s, it’s hard to follow their thinking right now. And they have people do other people’s jobs and why they would have a defense lawyer there to back up everything that the prosecutor said, when the prosecutor is take the defense’s side, is beyond me.

Partisan Republican lawyer Robert Ray, was on Anderson Cooper 360 last night to talk about Robert Costello’s testimony. Not even he could come up with a good spin and try to argue something like: “This is how Robert Costello helped the defense.”

Jeffrey Toobin gave his excellent analysis essentially arguing how big of a disaster that Bad Job Bob Costello was for the defense. With Robert Ray, who used to work for Ken Starr back in the 1990s investigating Bill Clinton, but who now acts as Donald J. Trump’s top defense lawyer every time he’s on TV to talk about Mr. Trump’s legal issues, said that he would’ve only asked Costello two questions relating to Michael Cohen, if he had Costello on the stand. But didn’t say anything like how great and useful Costello was for the defense.

I wish I had the written text, link, or video of that Jeff Toobin-Bob Ray CNN appearance from last night. But it doesn’t seem to be available online right now. But you can see Bob Ray from his MSNBC appearance last week talking about Michael Cohen. And that should give you an idea of what kind of partisan Republican defense lawyer that he can sound like. And that link is on this post.

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Nicolle Wallace: ‘It Was Devastating Evidence’: Andrew Weissmann On Robert Costello’s Testimony Showing Donald Trump’s Mob Tactics’

Posted on May 21, 2024 by kireschneider

MSNBC_ 'It Was Devastating Evidence’_ Andrew Weissmann On Robert Costello’s Testimony Showing DonaldSource:MSNBC talking about Bad Job Bob Costello and Defendant Don, with their legal analyst Andrew Weissmann.

Source:The New Democrat

“Andrew Weissmann, former top prosecutor at the Justice Department and Susanne Craig, New York Times Investigative Reporter join Nicolle Wallace on Deadline White House to discuss the conclusion of Trump attorney Robert Costello’s testimony which included a devastation cross examination from the prosecution which both corroborated Michael Cohen’s testimony and showed the mob like tactics on display between Trump and his employees during the height of the Stormy Daniels controversy.”

From MSNBC

“Robert Costello is a ‘killshot witness’: Jonathan Turley. Robert Costello took the stand Monday in NY v. Trump.”

From FOX News

As my colleague Fred Schneider talked about earlier today;

“But CNN still has Jeffrey Toobin as one of their legal analysts. And he’s not there to tell the CNN viewers or CNN only things that can hurt or help both sides equally. To paraphrase Socialists: Toobin is not there to redistribute the facts and evidence equally. He’s there to report and give his own evidence and analysis regardless of who it might hurt or help.

Jeff Toobin said last night on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 how Manhattan ADA Susan Hoffinger was going to cross-examine Robert Costello and he perfectly nailed it. And NBC News’s correspondent Yasmin Vossoughian, perfectly laid out how Hoffinger did that by using Costello’s own words and emails against him. “

From The New Democrat

Just to start this off on a lighter note: listening to MSNBC anchor Nicolle Wallace (who used to be a Republican operative before Donald J. Trump kicked the real Republicans out of the party) read. back Robert Costello’s emails, that Manhattan ADA Susan Offinger read back and introduced to the jury, which basically just contradicts everything that he told this jury, but only with his own words, was like listening to a great sitcom comedian or standup comedian. She’s a great comedic deliverer. She just pounded way at Costello’s own words, his own emails, with a great sarcastic, comedic, tone. But only because Robert Costello shot off what’s left of his feet from Monday, with his own emails.

Now having said all of that, now that I guess Jonathan Turley said that Robert Costello would be a “kill shot for this trial”, he was actually right (for a change) about that. But not in the way that I think he meant to be. He was the defense’s only witness, really the only new evidence that they introduced in this case. But it was as if they were throwing in the towel, or decided to throw in the case. Because Costello’s own words, his own emails, just corroborated a lot of what Michael Cohen has already told this jury.

I think I know what FOX News and the rest of MAGA cult will be saying now after Robert Costello testified today. They’re probably going to say that he was some Democratic plant by the Joe Biden Administration, to sabotage Donald Trump’s case. If he’s convicted of the felonies, or perhaps even before that, you’ll see some MAGA cultists on probably Twitter, perhaps Reddit, saying that Robert Costello was a Joe Biden plant during this trial. Or perhaps someone from FOX News.

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MSNBC: Robert Costello Faces Questions From Prosecution & Defense At Donald Trump Hush Money Trial

Posted on May 21, 2024 by FredSchneiderUS

MSNBC_ Robert Costello Faces Questions From Prosecution & Defense At Donald Trump Hush Money TrialSource:MSNBC showing defense witness Robert Costello in the courtroom, with a cartoon.

Source:The New Democrat

“Robert Costello resumed his testimony in the Trump hush money trial a day after clashing with the judge over his conduct. NBC News Yasmin Vossoughian has details on what questions he has faced in cross-examination and redirect.”

From MSNBC

“Toobin: Let’s talk about the substance of Costello’s testimony, and let’s talk about Costello. Anybody remember the Mueller report? He’s actually a big figure. [Maggie Haberman] and I were just talking about this. The exchanges between him and and Cohen are, according to [former FBI Director] Robert Mueller, a dangling of a pardon from Donald Trump.

Anderson Cooper: He was allegedly sort of the emissary from Trump world to Cohen to dangle.

Toobin: Exactly, and that’s what you’re going to hear in the cross-examination tomorrow to add to this atmosphere of mafioso, stinking, corrupt relationship between Donald Trump and Michael Cohen.”

From Meidate

I’m going to get into NBC News correspondent Yasmin Vossoughian’s reporting here, who I think did an excellent job of showing the Manhattan ADA Susan Hoffinger’s contradicting Robert Castello’s own testimony with his own emails in a minute. (How did the defense not know about Mr. Costello’s background here is beyond me) But I want to get to the point that Jeffrey Toobin made last night on CNN’s Anderson Cooper’s 360, but CNN’s coverage of this trial first.

I don’t know what’s going on with CNN right now. During the Trump Administration, I really thought along with The Washington Post and perhaps New York Times, that they were the gold standard when it came to reporting at the Trump White House.

But if you look at Anderson’s Cooper’s interview of Bill Maher last night, they pretty much some up what CNN is about now. If you are familiar with CNN anchor Erin Burnett’s tagline “facts matter”, I they think they still matter for her and she still does an excellent job and might be their best anchor now. But with CNN has a whole I think they just want to sound like they’re completely independent, right down the middle, not ever taking sides, but not reporting sold information that can make one side look really bad or look really good, unless they have something that makes the other side look really bad as well, or something that suggests maybe the news for one side isn’t that good after all.

When it comes to old school journalism, you are just supposed to go where the facts and evidence take you. Regardless of who it hurts. When one presidency after another from both parties think that the media coverage about their presidency was unfair, especially when most of that coverage was from mainstream news sources like NBC News, CNN, The Washington Post, etc, that generally means the mainstream media did a good job. And the same thing when one President after another from both parties thinks the coverage of their presidency was fair, that generally means they were doing a good job.

But CNN now seems to think that the way for them to get out of 3rd or 4th place in the cable news and talk ratings, is just cover both sides equally, regardless of the facts or evidence that comes out. And why CNN is doing this, they overplayed the cross-examination of Michael Cohen by reporting that defense discovered that Cohen is a liar. When the fact is the prosecution already brought that out to the jury during their direct examination. And then they barely mention the corroboration photo evidence that the prosecution brought out yesterday, as well as the video evidence that suggest that Cohen called Donald Trump around the same time that he said he did, back in October 24, 2016, to talk about the hush money payments.

But CNN still has Jeffrey Toobin as one of their legal analysts. And he’s not there to tell the CNN viewers or CNN only things that can hurt or help both sides equally. To paraphrase Socialists: Toobin is not there to redistribute the facts and evidence equally. He’s there to report and give his own evidence and analysis regardless of who it might hurt or help.

Jeff Toobin said last night on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 how Manhattan ADA Susan Hoffinger was going to cross-examine Robert Costello and he perfectly nailed it. And NBC News’s correspondent Yasmin Vossoughian, perfectly laid out how Hoffinger did that by using Costello’s own words and emails against him.

While MSNBC is reporting these new damaging facts and evidence against the Trump defense (or lack of defense) CNN has nothing on the cross-examination of Robert Costello. And they wonder why they’re in 3rd or 4th place and MSNBC is a solid 2nd place in the cable news ratings right now.

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Michael Popok: ‘Donald Trump Lawyer STUNT Backfires in FRONT OF JURY

Posted on May 20, 2024 by kireschneider

Meidas Touch_ Donald Trump Lawyer STUNT Backfires in FRONT OF JURYSource:Meidas Touch– left to right: Defendant Don’s defense attorney Todd Blanche & guess who.

Source:The New Democrat

“Trumps lawyer Todd Blanche just LOST ALL CREDIBILITY before the jury when a stunt he pulled on Friday SPECTACULARLY BACKFIRED as the prosecution found over the weekend VIDEO PROOF THAT TRUMP AND HIS BODYGUARD WERE together AT THE MOMENT THAT MICHAEL COHEN phoned Trump and the bodyguard to tell them THE STORMY DANIELS pay off happened! Michael Popok explains this CHECKMATE by the prosecution and how it bolsters Cohen’s testimony.”

From the Meidas Touch

As I wrote about Todd Blanche’s cross-examination of Michael Cohen last week:

“But if you are the prosecution you just say that almost everything that Michael Cohen has said under oath to this jury, has already been corroborated by other witnesses who used to work for the defendant. And the defense hasn’t even tried to dispute any of that. And they have nothing to show that Mr. Cohen is lying them right now. Plus, all the paperwork and why the hush money scheme was covered up in the first place, which was to prevent the American voters from finding out about it, before the 2016 election.”

From The New Democrat

As my colleague Fred Schneider wrote earlier today: 

“So what has the defense established? Well, they haven’t established much of anything, so far, other than additional lies that Michael Cohen gave, but not to this jury. And the fact that he pocketed some of the money for himself, that was supposed to used to payoff Stephanie Clifford (also known as Stormy Daniels) and Karen McDougal.

And while the defense is establishing old facts, the prosecution has a new photo of Donald J. Trump and his bodyguard Keith Schiller, from the time that Cohen said he called Schiller to talk to Mr. Trump. As well as new corroborating witness from CSPAN (of all places) who saw them together, when Cohen said he was calling Schiller to talk to Mr. Trump. Guess what, the prosecution wins this exchange.”

From The New Democrat

I think Michael Poppok did an excellent job of explaining the importance of this new photo evidence. But I just want to give you my own summary as well (as a non-lawyer) of why it’s so important.

For anyone who has a memory that’s more than 4 days olds, (hopefully that’s not a select few) lets go back to last Thursday and to Todd Blanche’s cross-examination of Michael Cohen.

Remember, if you will, Todd Blanche was trying to get Michael Cohen to admit under oath that he lied about talking to Donald Trump October 24th, 2016 at all. And what he was really calling Keith Schiller about was to try to deal with some 14 year old online heckler that apparently Cohen was dealing with. And Blanche flat out said he never talked to Donald Trump that day and that Trump was no where near Keith Schiller, when this phone call happened. Well guess what, this is why corroborating evidence is so critical, especially when you have difficult witnesses that you have to have to back up your case, testifying for you.

Todd Blanche said on Thursday there was no evidence that Michael Cohen talked to Donald Trump on that October day. But on Monday, after he gave the Manhattan DA a solid 3 days and some change to further corroborate Michael Cohen, they found both a video and a photo of Donald Trump standing next to Keith Schiller, with Schiller on the phone, at around the time that Cohen said that he was calling Schiller, to talk to Mr. Trump about the hush money payoffs.

So, you know, it”s no longer about Michael Cohen’s credibility here. It’s now also about the defense attorney’s own credibility here. Because Mr. Blanche has already said there was no evidence that Cohen and Trump talked when Cohen said they did. But now there’s not just new evidence, but corroborating evidence, to back up Michael Cohen’s whole damn story about this case, to this jury.

You don’t have to take Mr. Cohen’s word alone to convict Donald Trump. You can trust all the previous witnesses, as well as your own eyes, ears, and old fashion commonsense. As well as all the corroborating testimony and evidence that backs up Michael Cohen’s testimony to this jury.

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New Photo Evidence Corroborating Michael Cohen?

Posted on May 20, 2024 by FredSchneiderUS

Newsweek: Michael Cohen Back On The StandSource:Newsweek with a look at Witness Mike & Defendant Don.

Source:The New Democrat

“Michael Cohen is back on the witness stand. Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger introduces the photograph into evidence after reading the stipulation to the jury. The picture shows Trump’s bodyguard Keith Schiller standing behind the former president, who is only seen by a sliver in the photo.

Cohen says he had “more than 20” conversations with Trump about the Daniels deal in October of 2016. Court is on another short break after some technical difficulties in playing an audio recording of a call between Cohen and Schiller.

Before lunch, the defense wrapped up its cross-examination of Cohen, the prosecution is now continuing its re-direct. If you’re just joining us, here’s a brief recap of what happened so far in court today.”

From Newsweek

“Merchan told both parties that the prosecution could recall their C-SPAN witness first thing tomorrow morning, but “if that doesn’t happen, we’re just going to proceed.” After conferring, however, attorneys for both parties agreed to introduce the still image taken from C-SPAN through the witness Michael Cohen.

The judge does not seem happy about how the timing shook out.

“We’re basically going to have a week down, where we’re sending the jury home for a week to do nothing,” Merchan said at one point.”

Huffington Post: Donald Trump's Hush Money Trial, Week 6_ Live UpdatesSource:Huffington Post with a good look at Witness Mike.

From The Huffington Post

Just like I don’t think you have to be a doctor to know when you have a headache, or an auto mechanic to know that your car is overheated or has a flat tire, a dentist to know that you have sore tooth, a teacher to know about the importance of education, you also don’t need to be a lawyer to know that when the defense is up and is cross-examining perhaps the most witness that the prosecution has, you can’t afford to exchange punches, especially jabs. (To use a boxing analogy) Especially after the incriminating case that the prosecution has already put on against their client.

The Manhattan DA has already established motive for why this hush money scheme was put together back in October, 2016 and the fact that is was still going on 2 years later. We even know who was involved in it, not just Donald J. Trump himself. We also know that it was this story and how it would affect the 2016 presidential campaign, not how it would affect Mr. Trump’s wife and son, that he was worried about.

So what has the defense established? Well, they haven’t established much of anything, so far, other than additional lies that Michael Cohen gave, but not to this jury. And the fact that he pocketed some of the money for himself, that was supposed to used to payoff Stephanie Clifford (also known as Stormy Daniels) and Karen McDougal.

And while the defense is establishing old facts, the prosecution has a new photo of Donald J. Trump and his bodyguard Keith Schiller, from the time that Cohen said he called Schiller to talk to Mr. Trump. As well as new corroborating witness from CSPAN (of all places) who saw them together, when Cohen said he was calling Schiller to talk to Mr. Trump. Guess what, the prosecution wins this exchange.

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Jesse Dollemore: ‘Democrat UTTERLY DEVESTATES Marjorie Taylor Greene With One Single Sentence’

Posted on May 17, 2024 by kireschneider

Jesse Dollemore: Democrat UTTERLY DEVESTATES Marjorie Taylor Greene w_ ONE SINGLE SENTENCE!!!Source:Jesse Dollemore talking about Crazy Marge (as Tim Miller from The Bullwark calls Marjorie T. Greene)

Source:The New Democrat

“Jesse talks about a heated exchange from a House Oversight Committee hearing late last night in which Marjorie Taylor Greene started insulting Democratic Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett’s appearance. Instead of cowering, the Texas Congresswoman unleashed a precision strike with verbal acuity, HUMILIATING Marjorie Taylor Greene!!!”

From Jesse Dollemore

I’m just going to give you some of my personal throughs about Representative Marjorie T. Greene, first. And then maybe that will give you an idea about why she acts the way that she does. Just for anyone who doesn’t have the time to keep up with her outrageous, immature, irresponsible, behavior, because perhaps you have lives or something.

At risk of getting personal and perhaps getting called a sexist by some militant feminist: I disagree with the critics about her physical appearance. I think she’s absolutely adorable in a physical sense and has the voice to match that. The problem that she has, (along with perhaps being an escaped mental patient) is that her physical adorableness, her little girly demeanor, matches her personality and brain as well.

I don’t think Marjorie T. Greene is even qualified to be a receptionist at sone small town or county’s sherif’s department, let alone qualified to be a sitting U.S. Representative, especially from a big state like Georgia, with big House districts. Or even qualified to serve in the George State Legislature.

But we still live in a liberal democracy (at least until Donald Trump takes over again) and if MTG’s constituents want someone whose not even qualified to serve in a high school Senate, want them representing them in the U.S. House of Representatives, that’s their call. At least until she’s breaks Federal or Georgia state law. Or the House decides that they’ve finally had enough of her and overwhelmingly kicks her out.

To give you a little comparison that might help you understand why Marjorie T. Greene acts the way that she does and I think classic Hollywood fans might be interested in this:

if you are familiar with the former actress/comedian/singer Jayne Mansfield from the 1950s, at least in Hollywood, that’s kind of what Marjorie Greene is like. Jayne Mansfield had a terrific career in comedy and music going for her in the 1950s. She had a couple big films like Rockwell Hunter with Tony Randall and The Girl Can’t Help it with Tom Ewell. And she was just as adorable as Marjorie, but a lot prettier and taller then Marjorie.

The problem that Jayne had was that she wanted to stop doing comedy and music and just do drama full-time. She thought she was a great dramatic actress and didn’t want to be a comedian anymore. The other problem for Jayne, other than be an oversized and overaged little girl, was that Hollywood didn’t want her to do anything but comedy and music. And comedy were the only roles that they were giving her.

And by 1960, Jayne Mansfield’s acting career in Hollywood dried up because she no longer wanted to do comedy. She made a brief Hollywood comeback in the mid 1960s, but doing comedy. And when her Hollywood career dried up, she basically became a professional publicity stuntwoman, just to stay in the Hollywood and tabloid news.

So this is how Jayne Mansfield connects with Majorie T. Greene:

no one wants to work with Marjorie in the House. Except for perhaps a handful of her fellow MAGA members like the Matt Gaetz’s who has his own issues there and perhaps a few others. So instead of passing or writing legislation or doing Congressional oversight, and actually representing her constituents, she does these political publicity stunts, just to stay in the Washington news.

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Kasie Hunt: Michael Smerconish On CNN This Morning

Posted on May 17, 2024 by FredSchneiderUS

Michael Smerconish_ CNN This MorningSource:Michael Smerconish talking to CNN anchor Kasie Hunt. You have to get up really early in the morning, or be a hardcore insomniac, to talk to Kasie Hunt on TV in the morning.

Source:The New Democrat

“TRUMP HAS ‘NO PROBLEM’ WITH RFK JR JOINING DEBATE. Smerconish on CNN This Morning with Kasie Hunt”

From Michael Smerconish

As I wrote about Robert F. Kennedy JR. back in March:

“As an at best Independent Democrat at this point, whose not in love with the Democratic Party politically, or really anything else, for that matter, I would love to see Robert F. Kennedy JR. run for President as a Libertarian. Why? Because it would just confirm what I, what this blog, and what a lot of other Democrats believe about RFK JR. that he’s simply a MAGA man, who at the very least doesn’t want Joe Biden to be reelected and perhaps even wants Donald Trump back in The White House, where all their MAGA conspiracy theories and avenues to financially profit for them, would open up.”

From The New Democrat

As I wrote about Robert F. Kennedy JR. back in April:

“As far as RFK JR. telling CNN anchor Erin Burnett, who I’m a fan of and think she does a great job and is an excellent interviewer and really doesn’t take any junk (to put it mildly) from her guests, once again Bob JR. is just trying to blame President Biden for something that he can’t even try to defend.”

From The New Democrat

As my colleague Kire Schneider wrote about Robert F. Kennedy JR. last week: 

“As far as Robert F. Kennedy JR: The New Democrat has been pretty clear about him from the beginning. He’s a better looking, more intelligent, perhaps healthier, younger (even though he’s 70 years old) Donald Trump. But now we know he also has brain damage, which explains his braindead presidential campaign. (Pun intended) And maybe he’s looking for a way to get out of this election, because he’s now seeing polling that his campaign is hurting Donald Trump. Which he doesn’t want and is looking for a way to get out of this, before he hurts Trump even more. “

From The New Democrat

I just want to respond to a point that Michael Smerconish made to Kasie Hunt first.

Michael Smerconish: “Donald Trump feeds off an audience. There won’t be an audience for these debates.”

How did that work for then President Trump in 2020? He was down even in the Electoral College polling going into the first presidential debate against Joe Biden and didn’t get beat in those debates, because he was too busy beating himself. Joe Biden won both debates simply by not being Donald Trump and coming off as a normal presidential candidate. You could argue that Joe was going to win the election anyway. But those debates might have cost him Georgia, Arizona, maybe even Wisconsin as well.

As far as the Tom Brady celebrity roast: Kasie Hunt had the perfect point there: “I think he made a lot of money off it.” Which is what this really about.

Brady is probably a bored celebrity, narcissistic billionaire, whose under 50 (who’l hopefully never run for President because of that) and he can just tell his kids: “Celebrity events like this and my football career, is what’s putting you through college and giving you hefty trust funds. So grow up and take it like a man.”

If you are Joe Biden, the only thing you want to do, is beat Donald J. Trump. Who’ll hopefully be Convict Don before the conventions, not just the election. The last thing you want to do is to be screwing around with Donald Trump’s younger, better looking, hipper, smarter, physically stronger, little political brother, Robert F. Kennedy JR. Whose simply running for President as Donald Trump’s political wingman or blocker, whose simply trying to keep Joe Biden from winning reelection. I mean Bob Kennedy isn’t even qualified for the debates right now and isn’t on enough state ballots to win the election. Don’t give him a bigger platform than he deserves.

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MSNBC: Todd Blanche’s Cross-Examination of Michael Cohen

Posted on May 16, 2024 by kireschneider

MSNBC_ 'Not Your Usual Cross-Examination'_ Ex-Donald Trump Lawyer Weighs In On Michael Cohen'sSource:MSNBC– left to right: Witness Mike & Defendant Don.

Source:The New Democrat 

“Robert Ray, a former member of former President Trump’s first impeachment legal team, joins our legal panel to share his thoughts on how he thinks the defense team is doing so far in Michael Cohen’s cross-examination.”

From MSNBC

“The cross-examination of Michael Cohen continues in former President Trump’s New York hush money trial. MSNBC legal analyst Chuck Rosenberg, New York Law School professor Anna Cominsky and criminal defense attorney Duncan Levin join Ana Cabrera and José Díaz-Balart to weigh in.”

MSNBC: Michael Cohen's Testimony Was 'Really Devastating' To Donald Trump's Case In Hush Money TrialSource:MSNBC– left to right: Defendant Don & Witness Mike.

From MSNBC

As my colleague Fred Schneider pointed out earlier today: 

“As far as CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, who I think is an excellent interviewer, especially in one-on-one interviews, I think he’s made a lot out of Todd Blanche catching Michael Cohen in previous lies from back in 2016.

This is Manhattan, unless you are just waking from like a 10 year coma or something, how to do you not know the fact that Michael Cohen is a well-known liar? This is a Manhattan jury, that includes two lawyers on it. Maybe during the 2nd part of Todd Blanche’s cross-examination, he’ll try to catch Michael Cohen making false statements to this jury during this case. But that hasn’t happened yet.

The question is whether or not Mr. Cohen is telling the truth right now. And most of his testimony has already been corroborated by witnesses, who’ve worked for Donald Trump in the past.”

From The New Democrat

I’m thinking that maybe CNN anchor Anderson Cooper should have interviewed attorney Robert Ray today, because they seem to have the same observations here. That it’s somehow a big deal that Donald Trump’s lawyer Todd Blanche got Michael Cohen to admit under oath, to a Manhattan jury (by the way) that Michael Cohen lied before. As if this Manhattan jury has been asleep the last 5-10 years while this hush money scheme was going on and Michael Cohen was convicted about lying about his role in it.

Look, we know what the Trump defense is going to be here. I think it’s obvious that they’re no longer playing for an acquittal because they’re not doing a damn thing, at least yet, to try to contradict that prosecution’s case. They’re essentially just stipulating, without admitting the prosecution’s case. But they seem to think that they can find one juror who won’t believe Michael Cohen and get a hung jury out of that. And perhaps ruin the prosecution’s chances of a retrial by trying to destroy Michael Cohen on the witness stand.

But if you are the prosecution you just say that almost everything that Michael Cohen has said under oath to this jury, has already been corroborated by other witnesses who used to work for the defendant. And the defense hasn’t even tried to dispute any of that. And they have nothing to show that Mr. Cohen is lying to them right now. Plus, all the paperwork and why the hush money scheme was covered up in the first place, which was to prevent the American voters from finding out about it, before the 2016 election.

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Todd Blanche VS Michael Cohen On Cross-Examination

Posted on May 16, 2024 by FredSchneiderUS

CNN_ Anderson Cooper Describes ‘Severely Damaging’ Moment During Michael Cohen’s TestimonySource:CNN taking you inside Donald J. Trump’s criminal courtroom, with a cartoon.

Source:The New Democrat

“Trump attorney Todd Blanche pressed Michael Cohen over his prior testimony that he had spoken to Donald Trump about resolving the Stormy Daniels hush money payment in an October 2016 phone call. CNN’s Anderson Cooper details what he saw inside the courtroom.”

From CNN

“Trump attorney Todd Blanche pressed Michael Cohen over his prior testimony that he had spoken to Donald Trump about resolving the Stormy Daniels hush money payment in an October 2016 phone call. CNN’s Anderson Cooper details what he saw inside the courtroom.”

CNN_ Analysis_ How Donald Trump's Behavior Changed During Michael Cohen's TestimonySource:CNN– left to right: Defendant Don & Witness Mike.

From CNN

“Former FBI General Counsel Andrew Weissmann is outside the courthouse and joins Andrea Mitchell and Chris Jansing to share his legal analysis of Trump attorney Todd Blanche’s cross-examination of Michael Cohen.”

MSNBC_ ‘Unflappable’_ Michael Cohen Appears Unfazed by Todd Blanche’s Cross-ExaminationSource:MSNBC legal analyst Andrew Weissmann giving his analysis of Todd Blanche’s cross-examination.

From MSNBC

I’m going to get into Anderson Cooper’s I guess personal analysis of Todd Blanche’s cross-examination of Michael Cohen. But I want to talk about CNN legal analysts’s Laura Coates analysis first, because she gets into what this case is really about and what I believe the prosecution has already proved.

What the prosecution has to prove from Laura Coates:

Intent to defraud:

Intent to commit another crime: what do you think the whole cover up by Trump Inc. to keep these affairs and payments from the public is?

Aid and conceal of commission of a crime: again, the whole coverup here that’s already been established by the prosecution witnesses who are allies of Donald J. Trump.

Made and caused a false entry in the business records: Donald J. Trump said that these payments were legal expenses and categorized them that way. But what they were, were reimbursements to Michael Cohen, for paying off Stephanie Clifford (also known as Stormy Daniels) and Karen McDougal.

Documentary evidence needed to show falsified business records

As far as CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, who I think is an excellent interviewer, especially in one-on-one interviews, I think he’s made a lot out of Todd Blanche catching Michael Cohen in previous lies from back in 2016.

This is Manhattan, unless you are just waking from like a 10 year coma or something, how to do you not know the fact that Michael Cohen is a well-known liar? This is a Manhattan jury, that includes two lawyers on it. Maybe during the 2nd part of Todd Blanche’s cross-examination, he’ll try to catch Michael Cohen making false statements to this jury during this case. But that hasn’t happened yet.

The question is whether or not Mr. Cohen is telling the truth right now. And most of his testimony has already been corroborated by witnesses, who’ve worked for Donald Trump in the past.

Anderson Copper gave his analysis of what he saw in the courtroom. CNN legal analyst Ellie Honig asked him: “Did you notice how the jury reacted to Michael Cohen’s testimony there?” Anderson Cooper said he didn’t see much reaction to the testimony on their part.

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The Bulwark: Tim Miller & Ben Wittes: ‘Donald Trump Sleeps Through Michael Cohen’s Testimony!’

Posted on May 15, 2024 by kireschneider

The Bulwark_ Donald Trump Sleeps Through Michael Cohen's Testimony! With Ben Wittes & Brody Mullins)Source:The Bulwark talking about Sleepy Don & Michael Cohen in court.

Source:The New Democrat

“Michael Cohen substantiated 99% of what’s needed to prove Trump’s hush money reimbursement scheme—and so far, Cohen held his own under the weak defense counsel’s cross-exam. Plus, are we past the peak power of the corporate lobbying world? Ben Wittes and the WSJ’s Brody Mullins join Tim Miller today.”

From The Bulwark

To say that Donald J. Trump is even a political hypocrite, let alone a hypocrite, would be like saying that the famous 19th Century bank robber Billy The Kid, likes money. I mean it’s just Captain Obvious being his best on his best day.

I only mention this because Donald Trump has a bad habit and even intentional (I would argue) of projecting his own weaknesses on his opponents:

He calls Joe Biden both Sleepy Joe and Crooked Joe, while he’s falling asleep at his own criminal trial, where incarceration will be an option, if he’s convicted.

Low Energy Jeb Bush from 2015. Again, that man struggles to stay awake at his own criminal trial. Plus, the reports of then President Trump showing up to work at the Oval Office at around 11AM or noon leaving work on the same day, at around 4-5PM.

DJT projecting his own weaknesses like Lyin Ted Cruz, even though DJT struggles to get through a sentence, not even a paragraph without lying, this worked for him in 2015-16. It didn’t work for him as President. The Republican Party loses the House in 2018 and then he loses reelection 2 years later and is impeached twice in that same time period.

But Donald Trump is like a very simple football team, that lacks talent and has a very limited playbook and therefor is stuck with the few plays on offense that works for them the best, because they’ve worked before. But also because that’s all he has.

I think Donald J. Trump privately knows that all he has going for himself is his own self-promotion, his own political grifting of some of the most gullible people every born on Planet Earth, and his full on verbal combat of people simply because he sees them as threats to him and people who oppose him. Not because they might actually be bad people or not.

And again this tiny political playbook worked for DJT in 2015-16. But it hasn’t worked since. If anything it’s just made his life a living hell and has made him a very lonely man, because people around him who you would think would be loyal to him, like his own, damn, family, essentially sees him as a loser. But we’ll see if it works in November.

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