'Terrible strategy': Ex-prosecutor says Trump's about to destroy his hush money defense

Former President Donald Trump has already forced his attorneys to defend him in the least effective way possible in the Manhattan hush money case, former federal prosecutor Harry Litman argued on MSNBC Monday.

This comes as the trial is set to resume this week, after several days in which Trump did not appear to be faring well.

"It does seem that [Trump attorney] Todd Blanche was kind of hamstrung by trying to please Donald Trump," said anchor Joy Reid. "I mean, all of the sort of weirdness of calling him 'President Trump' when he's not the president, and just insisting on using that terminology and saying he did nothing wrong. All of it just seems to be for Trump's benefit. How well do you think that's working out for them in the trial?"

"So far, not very," said Litman. "And I think it's only going to get worse."

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Litman compared this situation to the legal style of Roy Cohn, the infamous mob lawyer Trump has often reportedly wanted his own lawyers to be like.

"Trump, we often compare to a mob boss," Litman said. "Even when a mob boss is under indictment and goes to see Roy Cohn, he says, 'Shut up and listen to me. I know what needs to happen. We're going to go there and say, maybe you haven't lived an exemplary life, but this charge and that charge.' They can't do that with Trump."

Litman predicted Trump's demands will prove detrimental to his defense when it comes time for his lawyers to question Karen McDougal and Stormy Daniels, two women who say they had affairs with the former president.

"They're going to have to say he never had an affair with McDougal, he never slept with Stormy," continued Litman. "And all in all, for the jury — I mean, it's one thing for him to deflect and deny, but there are 12 people there who are judging his credibility. And can everyone be lying here? Imagine the cross-examination they're going to have to do on Stormy Daniels ... they're going to have to call her a flaming liar. They try to assume the same for [David] Pecker. It's a terrible strategy."

Watch the video below or at the link here.

Harry Litman says Trump is stuck with a "terrible strategy" at trialwww.youtube.com