Donald Trump started Monday in court with his former lawyer and current nemesis Michael Cohen taking the stand in the hush money trial — and his emotion was evident.
CNN's Jake Tapper observed that Trump appeared to be "in a mood" already as first photos from the courthouse came out.
Trump is accused of 34 felonies that involve the falsification of business records to conceal a payment to actress and director Stormy Daniels, who alleged they'd had a one-night stand.
Read Also: Michael Cohen: Trump mastered the art of the dodge to avoid accountability — until now
Trump wore a blue and white striped tie with a navy suit and a wrinkled scowl under his makeup.
Speaking to Tapper, former Cohen attorney Lanny Davis said that today was likely easier for him than when Cohen appeared in front of Congress. In court, he pointed out, there is a judge to control things. In Congress, there are no rules and Congressmen Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Mark Meadows (R-NC) were on "attack."
"Last night, he and I joked about whether this will be worse than what he faced with Jim Jordan and Mark Meadows," said Davis.
"You walked into a room, and on the wall was behind Jim Jordan, liar. Liar, pants on fire," Davis recalled of Cohen's testimony to Congress. "And the night before, we did try to provoke him over and over again to being called a liar. So, he's going to do very well today."
"But I do think his mindset is to tell the truth, tell it calmly, and remember everything he says he knows," Davis explained.
In court, reporters revealed to Tapper that Trump looked up at Cohen as he walked by the defense table. Cohen's face was forward.
"He says back in 2019 when Michael Cohen testified before Congress, he said that Donald Trump doesn't give firm instructions per se," Tapper explained. "He said, 'Mr. Trump did not directly tell me to lie to Congress in 2019. That's not how we operate.'"
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'Looks like he's in a mood': Jake Tapper on Trump's Michael Cohen appearance in court youtu.be
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