'Michael Cohen is playing Trump perfectly': Expert suggests ex-president walking into trap

Donald Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, responded to a hearing into accusations of multiple gag order violations by the ex-president Monday — and vowed that Trump cannot stop him from testifying in the hush money trial.

“After the Trump administration had me remanded to solitary confinement for a total of 51 days, I learned that I am much stronger than I ever imagined," Cohen said in a statement.

"Strong enough to ensure that truth will prevail over Donald and his acolytes’ incessant lying and denigration of me; in the court hallways or his UNtruth Social platform. Regardless. No one is above the law.”

Cohen, a key witness in the trial, was himself charged and sent to prison in 2018 for his role in a scheme to keep adult film star Stormy Daniels quiet about an affair. He has been a frequent target of Trump attacks.

Tuesday's hearing came after prosecutors said Trump had violated a gag order at least 10 times since Trump's hush money trial began last week. The order is intended to stop him from intimidating witnesses and jurors. The judge has not yet ruled.

Former federal prosecutor Shan Wu wondered on X whether it has occurred to the former president "that Michael Cohen is playing Trump perfectly by goading Trump right into contempt of court for violating Judge Merchan's gag order?"

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Lawyer and Lincoln Project co-founder George Conway similarly said that he personally has the power to troll Trump into reactions.

"He can't help himself — but [to] emotionally react to things," Conway said last week, speaking to MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace. "And one of the things is that he's a narcissisticsociopath, and everyone has to get used to it [as] the reason why you [cannot] normalize him. You can't treat him like a normal human being because he is not. He is unwell."

"He will be told it is insane for any lawyer to give him advice to testify in his own defense. But then, you know, what is going to happen when someone like me goes on a show and says, 'Donald, Donald, you're scared! Your lawyers are making you look scared,'" Conway continued.