Client without guarantee of a repayment. Well hear about notes that Allen Weisselberg took in documenting the repayment. I think those notes also have Michael Cohens handwriting on it. I think youll hear more about those notes. Those notes, its exhibit 35 the reason i remember it, incredibly strong proof for the prosecution. Mary mcchord and i theres an episode of our podcast talking about just that exhibit and why it is so devastating. And then finally well be taken into the oval office, where Michael Cohen has a conversation with donald trump about the repayment scheme. So, those are the remaining pieces. Finally the jury will hear about all of the things that Michael Cohen has pleaded guilty to, and hell have to explain why he pled guilty to something he now says he is not guilty of. That might be a bit of a difficult part of the testimony, and then well get to Cross Examination. That for Michael Cohen is kind of the ball game. The direct should go swimmingly, it is going swimmingly, but i think the afternoons Cross Examination will be where the proof is in the pudding. Exhibit 35, we want to get on the screens for you. Well work on that on our end, so we can go through it in detail, as andrew was just saying. 130,000 is a lot of money for anybody to pull out of their pocket and pay for a story. Maybe not for donald trump, but certainly somebody like Michael Cohen. Thirdly, ive got great news for everybody. Chris jansing has taken her hour break for the day and is joining us once again for special coverage. And cookies to celebrate ana cabreras birthday. Look, 130,000 for donald trump may not be a lot of money in terms of his overall net worth or what he wanted you to believe it was, but 130,000 is a lot of money. There was testimony about that. Testimony after testimony after testimony, hes a micromanager and knew where the money was. Im joining this stellar team of reporters and experts. We also have Vaughn Hillyard outside the courthouse. Andrew, i want to go back to you. As ive been following it, the testimony the last 15 minutes does a couple things. It claims that trump himself issued the order he did it to help his campaign. I note the final piece of evidence is Michael Cohen saying, i was following directions. So, if you are the prosecution and you want to end on a dramatic moment, how do you structure what is left of Michael Cohens testimony to leave the jury with the idea that you have done, as a prosecutor, what you needed to do. Well, weve talked about the remaining key pieces, but i think the one huge piece that the jury has not heard yet is Michael Cohen saying what he is guilty of, and hes going to have to walk through what hes pleaded to. I assume one of the last things he will say and be asked about is that he has pleaded guilty to this scheme. And that he has gone to jail for this scheme. The underling has been held to account, but the person directing it has not. If thats where you are as a juror, and you believe the whole mound of evidence, you know, in terms of why you should care, most people feel like thats not justice. I mean, somebody who is its fine no Michael Cohen to admit what he did and do his jail time, and Allen Wiseweisselberg thats the note i would leave on. I was expecting something more dramatic than that, and i wonder, there any risk from that. Just day, shoots a liar and criminal. The judge will fact him that mr. Cohen pled guilty is not evidence that donald trump is guilty. I wouldnt end with that, but you have to go through the checks i would go through each check that donald trump, and Legal Expenses added on top of that. They have to at some point put his bad acts in there. I always like to put it in the middle, not that i was hiding it. He also pled guilty to tax fraud, which he didnt really commit, so they have to at the out how hes going to do that. Thats just stylistic. I would want to end with invoice after invoice and check after check. So thats how i would end it. So thats stylistic. In fact, its a common misconception, you need during year testimony to have that moment. You really dont. If you get the fact is they can organize it throughout the trial, theyre coming into the record that the injure may have trouble, so thats what matters. Thats why you shouldnt try to go for that aha moment, especially if its a hostile witness, theyre just going to try to burn you. Then you organize it in the end, and thats the time for drama, if you so choose, if thats your style, thats the time to put on the show with the facts that are in and out in the record. Catherine, you want the judge would instruct them even if Michael Cohen did these things, then donald trump is. But this testimony today is donald trump told me to do it. It ties him directly in. Legal will you the judge has to instruct them, no, no, no. Is there any sympathy for Michael Cohen, possible, youre the fall guy, ive been in jail, you did something to police the boss. Despite all the evident that donald trump is a multimanager, detailoriented boss. I want to bring in former prosecutor, david, talk to us about what you have heard so far, what the jury has heard, a lot of testimony laying out what happened in this mush money schemes. Theyre not illegal. They know the facts, sow what does Michael Cohens testimony add, in terms of campaign finance, potentially felony as charged, and to the business transactions. Asking myself, if i was on one side or the other, do i just breathe a sigh of relief, and i would not feel and heres the bottom line, you cant convict unless you believe cohen. So his testimony is critical. He said some awkward things. I think they have a punchers chance, however, it will take more sophisticated Cross Examination from what ive seen sore far. Ive to represent Michael Cohen. I was a special crimes prosecutors. What i was always afraid the defense would do, hang on a second, what if you dont believe him . Lets see how that affects the case, and what if you believe some of it, but overall you doubt. How would that impact the case . If they handle it the right way, they do have a punchers chance here. Do you think in the minds of the jury, the fact this is a story that send him to prison makes it more believable . Thats the most convincing thing he can say. He can say i pled guilty and went to prison and i did my time. You have two lawyers on this jury. Ive seen almost everything, chris, and tried cases in almost every other context, but even for me its weird for a lawyer to record his own client. You have a lot of Circumstantial Evidence that the prosecution can use to say, look, disregard that, its not a big deal, but if its spun the right way when cases like this get lost, not because of strictly legal analysis, but because of what jurors gravitate toward. You kasay, hang on a second, there were times realized in your declines best interest, you had to take steps that this were note completely clear of . Only to protect them from themselves. They just have to make you doubt enough. We have a steady stream of folks who have been inside the courtroom as well as the overflour room making their way to our cameras, including lawrence odonnell, who always has interesting things to say. Were going to take a quick break and be back with more, right after this. Break and be b, right after this tech does your windshield have a crack . Trust safelite. This customer had auto glass damage, but he was busy working from home. So he scheduled with safelite in just a few clicks. 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Our customers get what they want, when they want it. jen now were even smarter and ready for whats next. vo achieve enterprise intelligence. Its your vision, its your verizon. You ready . Showtime. This is gonna be epic. [ barking ] its what the poster said. Do you want to make out or . Nope. I meant yes. Hes a bon garcon. I give amazing spongebaths. Can i get a room . [ chuckling ] chefs kiss. What is your impression of what you saw, lawrence, and what is it like in there . You know its a star witness which District Attorney alvin bragg comes in and stays for the entire session . Let me just read from nigh notebook the most important thing that the jury heard today he wasnt thinking about melania. This was all about the candidate. That is the essence of Michael Cohens testimony as it stands now. That was michael describing his attitude about paying off Stormy Daniels, about the urgency of paying off Stormy Daniels immediately after the access Hollywood Tape came out he said, i was following directions. The most repeated line of his testimony was, just take care of it. Thats Michael Comen Quoting donald trump. Lawrence, i was thinking of you in your particular frame of reference when you were in the courtroom. If this was an episode of west wing as you scripted it, would they just be over the top . And what would the jurors think of Michael Cohen . Well, the jurors so far have no reason to think anything about Michael Cohen. Hi demeanor has flawless from the prosecutions standpoint. This is a version of Michael Cohen we dont see publicly. He is composed and he speaks carefully. His answers are as short as they can be, which is what the prosecutor wants from him. Frequently the answers are yes and no. Theres nothing combative or defensive about him. He will be tested on Cross Examination. Thats what people are waiting for, who will Michael Cohen be in on crossexamination . Whether he can maintain that during kropfexamination is a big mystery as a person and as a witness. I think that is an accurate witness. He can be very fragile. He can get quite explosive. I wonder if this will change when the prosecution comes up, what Donald Trumps reaction will be. As i understand it from the document, hes been pretty calm during this portion of Michael Cohens testimony. What have you seen . Do you expect that to change in. First of all, the eye closing, which he does about ten minutes into the proceeding. I think hes trying to prove to us hes actually not sleeping, but the eyes are closed for extended periods of time, and then when hes not doing that, i saw him looking at photographs ened a i can see over his shoulder what appeared to be crowds possibly photographs of his rallies this weekend. The jury doesnt have a particularly easy view of donald trump in this crowded courtroom. They pretty much never look at him, which is unusual. Most of the time gyre have a clear view of defendants. They check thumb out from time to time during various points of the testimony. If the jurors could really see how we moved from this, at least trying to i think its a deliberate act he has just the strangest defendant presence you could ask for. Lawrence, what about the allies in the courtroom . What have they been like . Well, not his kids, theres no plural. Theres one designated trump family member, eric trump. No one also has shown up. Theres no suggestion that they will. Well see. I didnt realize the senators were piling in. I watched donald trump walk in, and i track him all the way. The senators then came in after him. And then just vance, its very clear all right, the parade is beginning now. As soon as the first recess, the senators disappeared, and that row became completely empty once again. Senator tuberville, who has been ridiculed of his lack of knowledge through his tenure. He has been ridiculed, but j. D. Vance is a serious contender, maybe considered top of the list. And maybe doug burgam since the weekend. J. D. Vance was on the phone the entire time. Tuberville, to his credit, looking straight ahead, taking it all in. J. D. Vance, there was no reason for him to come well, lawrence, he tweeted that its not fair to accuse donald trump of falling asleep and not being with it. As he says, hes 39 years old and he was almost falling asleep. There you go. Theyre there to corroborate to help with the Sleep Defense. I guess thats where the Vice President ial auditioning begins, with you come in and please help with the Sleep Defense . Lawrence odonnell, thank you. For more of your observations just tune in to The Last Word time. Let me get a big picture, if i can, lisa. This was so highly anticipating Michael Cohen. So far, one of the people that came out early described his testimony at times even boring, but what is your sense of it . And what is your sense of what is to come . He has to keep frequently asking him to give her more. This is a Michael Cohen who is not only subdued and exceedingly place. He is really trying to listen carefully and stick within the four corners of her questions, even when shes expectic additional details. She has to keep prodding him for additional aspects of conversations, for example. Having to prod him, do you remember anything during that conversation about melania, for example. That is really evocative of many of the conversations so far. One of things sifts fascinated is watching rashen taking mesh of the man. None of the participants looked like the way they did in the original film. Michael cohen is no exception. He is grayer, thinner, quieter, and while merchon way was trying to find a take on this witness, and yet, the guy we saw this morning was credible and calm, if not a little freaked out and very nervous to be there this morning. Lisa, youve seen him testifies in the other kay, the fraud case, so whats your expectation to when hes cross emphasize examined . If past is prologue, katy, im expecting Michael Cohen to keep a tighter lid on himself. Youre right, in the last rodeo between these two people, Michael Cohen was also not the same, that was just a few months ago. He seems well prepared for this moment. Whether he can continue to keep a lid on his temper, but also accept responsibility and give answers that are painful to him. For example, help said at one of point he loved thinks job at the trump organization. From the civil fraud trial, he wouldnt have giving that up that easily. Suzanne craig, what is your your impressions in terms of the chain of evidence . He is really, importantly, connected for us a lot of what we have heard was people talking to Michael Cohen, and we didnt have that Connective Tissue with donald trump. Tyke and time again, we have Michael Cohen saying he kept donald trump weve already heard he was keep donald trump he feld it was tis and if at the end of the year im sure he also wanted a big bonus. Like, for example, weve long heard the tape where donald trump taped or where Michael Cohen taped his boss, donald trump, about the payments to Karen Mcdougal that never ended up going through. In that conversation he says, the reason that he pitched back on that, it was back Mickael Cohen wanted to make sure i, like everybody else, i think hes been tent tariff, but what is really going to matter is how he holds up on cross, and so far hes provided some very important links today. I dont think they were rote in some respects. Either because of their own poli