To a Special Edition of news night. Im abby phillip alongside laura coates right here and Donald Trumps lawyers tried to pan fry Michael Cohen on the Witness Stand Today and perhaps the most important day of testimony so far, eight oh, tonight, Donald Rumsfeld . Yes. That Donald Rumsfeld gives us all a lens to view whats left in the Hush Money Trial. The known knowns, unknown knowns, and unknown unknowns. So first the known knowns all those bad fats. So the prosecution took painstaking care to get in front of the jury so that they did not hear them for the first time and crossexamination, that cohen was a jerk, that he was a bully, that cohen was designated a thug, that Michael Cohen cashed in on Donald Trumps name all of them facts that the governments attorney put on the record to make the cross case a little bit less of a rough and tumble affair. Second, you havent the unknown knowns how the j. Will actually choose to react to everything theyve seen and heard from cohen. Well crossexamination began with cohens tiktoks and got for combative from Mares Snaking Through public statements about trump ones like donald trump belonged in a cage. Not very nice. The questions probe cohens inability to stay away from social media, including by the way, his podcast schedule. How is memory about trump calls is perfect and but less so when it comes his interaction with maybe manhattan prosecutor, how his obsession with winning trumps approval spiraled into what they say is revenge plot. The question is at any of that connect with the men and women who will actually decide trumps fate. Finally, we have the unknown, unknown well donald trump himself testify. Hes given both answers to the question saying, of course, and then you saying that he couldnt do it because of a gag order which is of course, a trumps lawyers say that theres no determination as of yet about whether the defendant, the former president of the United States, will ultimately take the witness stand. Daring to go under oath under the penalty of perjury in his own defense for what would be a Brain Breaking moment for the country. And that might be an understatement. I mean, Brain Breaking is yeah, an understatement. Were here with our panel, but first i want to start with a little bit of reading of the part of the trunk of the help everyone understand exactly what happened in the courtroom. Well have Elliot Williams as trumps defense attorney, todd blanche. I expect a lot out of you. Elliott, also mark his soldiers as Michael Cohen, u2 accents included or starting at the third question in crossexamination, gentleman, take get away. And this was it started off with really getting under the witnesses skin and todd blanche came out with a doozy. So this was the question. As a matter of fact, on april 23rd. So after the trial start in this case, you went on tiktok and called me a quote, crying little, didnt you . It sounds like something i would say. Objection, your honor. Sustained. Sustained. Know there was a sidebar after this where the judge had said that really an attorney should not be making himself a focus of a question. Its really irrelevant what a witness as he sustained the objection. Now, of course, it was already on the record. The jury heard it, so we couldnt really unring the bell but there it was and then it went on. So President Trump was Borussia Cartoon Massage and has didnt you you said that sounds like something i would say. And those types of comments in names continued on every single one throughout 2020, correct . Im sure i said something. I cant say that theyre all recall the first one in 2020 as a cheeto dust and Cartoon Villain that also sounds like something i said. Now, do you recall that around the same time, october 2020, you started talking about your hope that President Trump would be convicted of a crime, correct . Well, no, i dont know if those are the exact one. Words that i said, but the sentiments correct. You think you might have said, i truly effing hope that this man ends up in prison. Is that exact . You know, it sounds like my language on may a copa and Michael Cohen was also challenged about his social media tonsils. Well, theres a whole trove of those. And so whats continued blanche asks you also talk on social media during this trial about President Trump. Have you not . Theres a theme here. Sounds correct. Yes. So for example, on april 23rd, which is after the trial started, correct yes. You referred to President Trump as a dictator douche bag, didnt you . Sounds like something i said. And on that same tiktok. So again, on april 23rd, you referred to President Trump when he left the courtroom. You said that he goes right into that little cage, which is where he belongs in an ethane cage like an animal. Do you recall saying that . I recall saying that thats a. Dramatic reading, abby. Yeah. I mean, thats kinda how it went down intonation and all marcus, thank you for that. Also we are. Aware that, we guys know, i can see that all right. But here we are. Kim really present, professor at the university of Baltimore School of law, tim parlatore, former attorney for donald trump, and victoria nor nurse. Georgetown Law Professor and former Chief Counsel to then vp biden. Theyre all win now, i tim what did you think of . I mean, look, we knew this was going to happen, right. And we knew that they were going to go hard on all the things that Michael Cohen has been saying and doing. How many times did he say he brought up donald trump in every single . Tiktok or podcasts or whatever he has done at donald trump has been the subject did it matter by the time we got to that . Because as we pointed out, the prosecution tried to get some of this on the table in advance. Yeah. Its an interesting way of starting across to be hit to be honest with you because really, you try and go for a lot of the facts before you go for the bias. I think thats more effective and coming ran at the gate and making about himself of what Michael Cohen said about him. Yeah, thats something that ive done that before, but not on the first question when ive had a witness, it said Something Like that. I hold my pocket and i keep going on and i wait for the witness to Say Something snarky or like, earn it to, whereas say, oh, you dont like me very much in fact, you said, and i pull it out at that point so that its something that makes sense in sequence to the jury. Because if you just immediately come out at him of you hate us, you hate me . You hate him then where do you go from that to then start to get into the substance of the i just make one note. Todd blanche doing this cross is a choice. Todd blanche, from what ive heard, has not done a lot of crossexaminations. This is not really his wheelhouse. So some of these things its interesting to hear you say that tab there were also some questions even about the way in which he was kind of going back and forth in time, whether that was strategic or just a little bit of a messy preparation in how he was doing this crossexamination. Well, it sounds like it was a little meandering and maybe a bit confusing for the jury, and it seems like throughout this entire trial his lawyers have two objectives. One is the jury and the other is their client, donald trump. So its hard to say how much this strategy is really to actually persuade one juror after all, they dont need all 12, two effectively win this case. And how much of it is donald trump is calling the shots . Thats like he does with his lawyers as fast. I mean, the most skilled Trial Attorneys know that the cross has got to be your forte, right . You have to make sure that you are the one really testifying. Its got ive almost had it explained to me in different ways and training as you gotta be the angry, suspicious girlfriend, its not that were worried. Why didnt you come home . Its gotta be i called you 12 times, didnt i didnt answer your phone six times. I saw your text messages. Im not well rehearsed in this because ive never been dallas girlfriend you think about how this all plays out. The whole point is for you to demonstrate that you know what theyre going to say and only get the yes or no . He was able to essentially have responses seem a little bit guarded, if not annoyed. Thats a problem well, i think that one of the things that were missing is that all you have to show to get this from the misdemeanor and weve seen the documents. Theres false invoices. We know that is for people to believe that he was correct on the factual thing that trump actually told him to do this for the election so we havent even gotten to the facts as you indicated normally you go for the facts, not just straight for the character. So that suggests theres they have a weak case and the strong case, the defense yeah. And Michael Cohens testimony is remarkably consistent today and yesterday in that number one virtually everything he said was supported by either a document that was written by Allen Weisselberg the controller of the trump organization. Four checks that were signed or the testimony of other witnesses. Its all incredibly supported testimony. Now, theyll be much of the ball game ultimately becomes how much the jury believes him. And i think a strategy on the part of the defense team today was just to attack his credibility because the strength of what hes provided thus far. Now, again, it becomes a Credibility Contest of how much do we believe this individual who number one has a demonstrated clear bias against the defendant and a long rap sheet of badness and his record. Now, anybody whos ever i mean, youve worked on these states to anybodys ever worked on a gang, a drug, a mob case, whatever nose you can still convict someone over the testimony of really bad people who have really bad stuff on their back limited and not in front of last full of nines markets. I mean, you got going to prosecute somebody whos engaged in false behavior. You had to have liars in theirce is for cohen, theyre trying to suggest if youre the prosecution that look, hes not pretending not to be a liar hes not suggesting that he doesnt lie. And in fact, this case is about lies 34 of them, and its something you normally at least i used to my experience, bring him an opening statements, but i was like at the spirits, the case look, youre going to hear for some unsavory people, right unsavory, just like the defendant here today, you want to loop them all together. And i think its really important it hasnt been talking about leasing from what ive seen that Michael Cohen is not testifying. I dont leant see. Hes not testifying or immunity. Hes a much better position than witnesses. Ive had who were lieutenants come up and testify. But is that though the fact if he works if he had time overhead, if he was a currently at current inmate, how would that make a difference easier to show the bias theyre like, youre testifying and giving me i mean, what they want because youre scared of increased jail time, youre trying to, you know, make sure you stay within the confines of your immunity. Do you dont have that type of issue here with Michael Cohen . So i think there is less baggage in that regard. His lies, of course, are enough baggage as is, but you dont have that typical in unity or leniency that Defense Counsel can really hammer rahm to discredit all the testimony does explain this was earlier when the prosecution was still finishing up with him. He explains how he made this turn and why this is what he what he told the jury cohen, were in this unique situation. I never experienced in my wife my family, my daughter, my son all said to me, why are you holding onto this loyalty what are you doing . Were supposed to be your first loyalty hoffinger thats the prosecutor says. So what decision did you make . Michael cohen says that it was time to listen to them hoffinger what did you decide about where your loyalty should be Going Forward . Cohen to my wife my daughter, my son, and the country. There was a critical moment for the jury to understand whats going on in his head and maybe youve had a lot of people working. Having everything to trump in the past he has a command of people psychologically, the jury is seeing this yeah, i think that that is a great story on the direct it well see how it holds up through the rest of cross because yeah theres a lot more to the story than just that. And i think that if they if todd blanche does a good job of going through the facts of when he first had the raid and he was first offered the opportunity to cooperate and he didnt he said, very emphatically, i dont i dont know anything about donald trump. No, he wasnt involved. He didnt know about these checks. I did it to protect melania and then go through what what change was it his family was it the fact that he asked for a pardon and donald trump said no . What was it that actually turns, i mean, couldnt it have been all of those things but trumps amp wanted his loyalty. But what clearly wasnt going to reciprocate yeah. There was there was when he was thrown under the bus, he wasnt brought into the white house. Theres justification for lying when he was under the thumb of donald trump and now telling the truth but it seems like there might be a bit of a weakness for the government and that there were only two conversations that were actually with donald trump himself. And that between donald cohen. I think all the other pieces have been established through documentary evidence, then establish to the testimony of david pecker, even hope hicks testified that the campaign was really worried about the access Hollywood Tape writing all of that together, but the jury could say, listen, you know that one piece. I think Michael Cohens a liar. Im not going to convict theres not evidence Beyond A Reasonable Doubt of all of the pieces, and its fascinating because thats the one conversation he seems to remember verbatim, the one that incriminates the defendant. All of these other questions they asked him about today. I dont recall. I dont recall. I dont recall yet somehow the one conversation with donald trump that would convict him is the one thing that he remembers almost almost perfectly. One thing that theres no documents to support two, yeah, thats the real power. Didnt have another white house. Yeah. Around for us. Weve got a lot ahead coming up next is underrated moment from todays testimony involving trump trying to use the power of his Justice Department. Last, there was also an eyeopening appearance outside of court today as trumps entourage at a pretty powerful new face theres no ghraieb, no crime here the whole myth has to be reimagined feed if you didnt know whether you were next they were both tied up . Yeah. Yeah. I was called in and i saw what turned out to be the biggest heist in history he went from gold medal winning icon to a pariah it really happened with jesse l. 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Weve got kim wally as the prosecutor, susan hoffinger, and Elliot Williams is now my that