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'John Grisham moment' that Trump supporters say buries court case pulled apart by expert
May 17, 2024 2:31PM ET
Trump supporters believe Michael Cohen dropped a bombshell on the stand that could get Donald Trump off the hook in his hush money trial — but some experts aren't so sure.
Trump stands accused of 34 felonies for creating false business records to conceal hush money spent to keep an affair quiet.
On Tuesday and Thursday, Trump's defense lawyer Todd Blanche hammered Cohen on the stand about his role in the scheme, his relationship with Trump — and even his wife and daughter.
Blanche pointed to phone records and text messages about a call that Cohen had with Trump bodyguard Keith Schiller on Oct. 24, 2016 at 8:02 p.m. Cohen testified that, at that time, he informed Trump the deal would be done.
In what was described by some as a "John Grisham moment," Blanche proclaimed Cohen was lying.
Cohen claimed text messages exchanged between Schiller and Cohen were about a 14-year-old who'd obtained his personal cell phone number and was prank-calling him.
Cohen said he called Schiller to request he sic the Secret Service on the teen. Cohen testified that at one point in that call, Schiller handed the phone to Trump, and Cohen briefly spoke about the hush money payment to Daniels.
But Trump's lawyers say that conversation could never have happened because the call with Schiller was only 97 seconds long.
Blanche hammered Cohen, saying he was lying about speaking to Trump and he could admit it, but Cohen doubled down, saying that he believed what he said to be true — though Blanche responded he didn't care what Cohen believed, they want to hear what happened.
Wu said that, from his observations, "Michael Cohen's reaction to Todd Blanche cross questions was hardly that of a 'greatest liar in history,' but instead seemed like a witness who is trying to be accurate."
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He said critics' claims of Cohen's "demise as a witness" "before he even got on the stand" were being "greatly exaggerated."
Speaking on the MeidasTouch network, Wu said that it has become "standard" in the reporting of Cohen to call him a "serial liar" or a "convicted liar."
He speculated that it could be an effort by networks to drive up ratings by making the case seem more dramatic than it is. There is also the chance that networks are trying to show they're reporting "both sides" of the case.
"But there's a problem with that too as a matter of explaining trials to people," he said. "That, by definition, is what the trial already does. It shows both sides. The prosecution does its side to go first. Then the defense goes next, and they can put on their case. Trying to do more both sides with political commentary and speculation isn't helpful."
See his comments below or at the link here.
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