How Trump’s lawyers tried to paint Michael Cohen as a liar who was obsessed with Donald … but struggled: The key takeaways from fixer’s second day of testimony

The a lot awaited cross-examination of Michael Cohen started with a shock-and awe opening meant to shatter the composure of the witness, however ended with the standard courtroom tedium and Cohen correcting Donald Trump’s lawyer on actual property.

There have been swear phrases, insults – ‘Cheeto-dusted villain’ is one – and questions on Cohen’s transfer from Trump loyalist to resistance crusader, and whether or not it was an awakening or self-serving scheme.

A lot of Blanche’s early punches didn’t land, and had the impact of bringing Cohen’s wealth of character assaults on Trump, like calling him a con man he was ashamed to work for, into the report.

Under are key takeways from the dramatic Day Two of Michael Cohen’s testimony, with sooner or later left to destroy the credibility of the essential witness.

Shock and awe opening shocked however didn’t go away a mark

Trump lawyer Todd Blanche tried to rattle Cohen from his first query when he informed him: ‘You went on TikTok and known as me a crying little sh** didn’t you?’

‘Seems like one thing I’d say’, Cohen responded dryly. However the remark led to a right away ‘sidebar’ convention between the choose and legal professionals. The choose introduced that the query was stricken from the report – a right away defeat for the protection.

Blanche could have hoped the query would have a psychological impact on Cohen even when it couldn’t stay on the report. However whereas Cohen was a bit off stability early in cross examination, he didn’t crumble.

Scorching headed Cohen largely retains his composure

Cohen is thought for attacking reporters, browbeating distributors, and threatening to crush adversaries within the courtroom. The private harm lawyer did not dispute being known as Trump’s ‘fixer.’

However he rolled out a brand new and improved humble demeanor throughout his direct testimony to prosecutors, and managed to maintain his composure whereas below hearth Tuesday.

Generally he tried to keep away from black and white solutions when he acquired requested questions that put him in a bind, like if he wished Trump to go to jail. ‘Certain,’ he responded casually, as if it weren’t one thing he had known as for in books known as Disloyal and Revenge, earlier than being pressured to go additional. However jurors weren’t studying a lot they hadn’t already picked up Monday: that Cohen stated he had reworked kind a Trump superfan to somebody hoping to assist convey him down.

Making an attempt to ascertain Cohen’s bias, Blanche pointed to a pink flag: he was promoting t-shirts picturing Trump in an orange soar go well with behind bars. Cohen had sported it himself as not too long ago as Wednesday. That may not fairly match with Cohen’s well-rehearsed reply that it was as much as the jury determine Trump’s guilt or innocence. However as a substitute of crumbling, Cohen put in a pitch for the shirt. ‘It’s a part of the merch retailer,’ he stated. 

He even gave instructions for the way a curious purchaser may test it out. ‘When you go to the part that claims mea culpa, this shirt is on the market on the market,’ he informed Blanche.

Trump closed his eyes at instances throughout cross-examination. Blanche could have hoped Trump was dozing when he combined up ‘rental’ and ‘co-op’ when discussing Cohen’s actual property

Blanche tried to get Cohen to confess bias. He wore a shirt Wednesday of Trump behind bars. Cohen stated the merch was out there at his web site

Cohen’s withering insults of Trump make it into the report 

Blanche’s effort to show Cohen is biased or vindictive had the side-effect of placing a collection of withering insults into the report. 

He was requested about calling him a ‘Cheeto dusted cartoon villain.’ Cohen stated that ‘additionally seems like one thing I stated.’ 

He did not deny saying ‘I actually f***ing hope that this man results in jail. Nor did he dispute saying folks will not be happy till ‘this man is sitting in his cell.’ Cohen did not recall, however stated ‘I wouldn’t put it previous me.’

And when Blanche introduced up good issues about Trump – hailing him as compassionate and even writing that he was ‘obsessed’ with him, Cohen was capable of reply by pointing to his conversion story. It was true on the time, he stated.

‘That’s how I felt so sure it will be the reality,’ he responded to a listing of accolades he gave Trump. Cohen had already gushed throughout direct testimony about his former satisfaction working for Trump and his former coworkers.

One other had Cohen saying earlier than the jury that he had known as Trump a ‘con man’ who he later was ‘ashamed’ he as soon as labored for. ‘I stated that, sure,’ he testified. That one lacked the alliteration of ‘dictator douchebag,’ one other insult Cohen agreed sounded prefer it got here from him.

Hassle establishing Cohen’s motive

Blanche tried a number of stabs at pinning a motive on Cohen that toppled his personal narrative – that he was coming ahead as a result of his household informed him his loyalty was to them and the nation, to not Trump.

One is that he wished to knock time without work his sentence. Cohen admitted to his lawyer making an attempt to get a letter that will get him credit score for cooperation. However he by no means had a cooperation settlement with prosecutors, per se, regardless of his efforts.

He did get immunity for testifying earlier than a grand jury, and he did have a collection of conferences with prosecutors assembling circumstances towards Trump. 

Some occurred in jail, however others got here after he was in residence confinement in Manhattan because of the coronavirus pandemic. So he was pressured to confess that he wished to shorten his interval of residence confinement the place he solely acquired out three hours per day and wanted to ask permission to depart.

However Cohen was keen to confess it. ‘I used to be on the lookout for a discount within the residence confinement portion,’ he stated. He complained that ought to have gotten credit score for work he did and a category he took whereas in jail north of the New York Metropolis.

Blanche repeatedly pointed to Cohen’s flurry of TV appearances. ‘Is it honest to say that you’re motivated by fame? … Is it honest to say that you’re motivated by publicity?’ he requested him.

‘I don’t know if that’s honest to say. I’m motivated by many issues,’ was Cohen’s response.

Cohen additionally revealed the massive bucks he made writing Trump inform alls, with earnings of about $3.4 million. He stated he wrote the primary ebook in jail to assist handle his time. 

Some success tagging Cohen with previous lies

Blanche had extra success getting Cohen to cop to some previous lies. One got here in conferences with Particular Counsel Robert Meuller in the course of the Russia probe. He hid details about his conversations with Trump about constructing a Trump Tower Moscow.

It isn’t a topic more likely to endear both Cohen or Trump to the jury as Russia continues its brutal warfare on Ukraine. But it surely might set up that if Cohen would mislead investigators, he may lie in court docket. 

‘You lied to them, proper?’ Blanche requested him.

‘Sure the knowledge I gave to them was not correct,’ was how Cohen put it.

That introduced a protracted semantic back-and-forth. ‘

‘Shouldn’t be correct data a lie?’ Blanche requested him.

‘It was inaccurate, sure,’ Cohen agreed, whereas nonetheless avoiding the phrase.

‘I don’t know if I’d characterize it as a lie. It was inaccurate,’ he stated, earlier than lastly relenting.

‘It wasn’t truthful. You wish to name it a lie? I’ll name it a lie. I consider they’re the identical factor,’ he stated.

He additionally introduced up quite a few instances when prosecutors have been pleading with Cohen to cease talking publicly about circumstances the place he was assembly with the federal government.

There have been conversations he stated he could not recall, and a few the place tried to downplay the urgency of the warnings. As he described it, it was ‘in all probability higher off should you don’t discuss it,’ is how Cohen put it. 

However he additionally had a solution for why he may ignore the admonitions, even whereas sitting in in residence confinement. ‘I do have a First Modification proper. I can converse,’ he stated.

Trump was in court docket to listen to the brutal insults Cohen has leveled

Cohen colleges Blanche on actual property

Trump may very well be seen along with his eyes closed for prolonged durations throughout questioning. Blanche can hope Trump was snoozing when his lawyer questioned Cohen about actual property.

Blanche combined up some primary phrases when asking Cohen about the place he was dwelling. 

‘As an alternative of being in Otisville you have been in your coop?’ Blanche requested Cohen, referencing his transfer from a New York jail to residence confinement.

‘Condominium,’ shot again Cohen, correcting him. ‘Understood,’ Blanche responded.

That got here after Cohen had testified he nonetheless lives in a constructing bearing Blanche’s shopper’s identify.

‘You continue to stay on a constructing with Trump’s identify on it, right?’ Blanche requested him.

‘I do,’ stated Cohen. 

Testimony units up make-or-break Thursday

Blanche did not get to complete his job, and left off with a query on Cohen’s complicated back-and-forth with prosecutors. 

He nonetheless has work to do to convey up a number of the most egregious components of Cohen’s report. He and prosecutors have each talked about that he pleaded responsible to mendacity to Congress. And prosecutors tried to get in entrance of complicating elements which have Cohen now saying he should not be prosecuted for tax offenses he pleaded responsible to. 

Primarily based on the time estimate Blanche gave in court docket, that offers Trump’s authorized crew one full day in court docket to attempt to destroy the credibility of a former ‘fixer’ to maintain him from reaching the purpose he bragged about on TikTok: Seeing that Trump goes ‘goes proper into that little cage which is the place he belongs, in a f***ing cage, like an animal.’

That was one insult that Cohen did recall saying.