Trump NY Trial: Cohen Challenged During Second Day of Testimony

Facts

• On Tuesday, Michael Cohen, former Pres. Donald Trump's ex-lawyer, resumed his testimony in Trump's New York criminal trial, saying he 'violated' his 'moral compass' to do the things Trump asked him to do.¹
• Todd Blanche, Trump's defense attorney, countered by portraying Cohen as a spurned ex-employee out for revenge, confronting Cohen with recent statements with profanity he has made about his former boss.²
• Cohen also recalled how he met with Trump in 2017 to discuss a repayment Trump owed him for the $130K Cohen paid in October 2016 to adult film star Stormy Daniels — which is at the center of the prosecution's case.³
• This follows Monday's testimony delivered by Cohen — who spent 13 months in jail and 1.5 years under house arrest for lying to Congress and financial crimes — saying he lied on Trump's behalf while in the real estate mogul's employ.⁴
• Tuesday also saw the attendance of several Republican supporters for Trump in the courtroom, and the appearance outside the courthouse of US House Speaker Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.), who has called the trial a 'partisan witch hunt.'⁵
• Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to his repayment to Cohen, who allegedly paid Daniels to keep quiet about a 2006 sexual encounter with Trump prior to the 2016 presidential election.¹

Sources: ¹Associated Press, ²CBS, ³Al Jazeera, ⁴Verity (a) and ⁵Verity (b).

Narratives

• Anti-Trump narrative, as provided by CNN. It says something about the defense's desperation that instead of focusing on proving Trump didn't do the things he's accused of, Trump's lawyers instead try to undermine the credibility of Cohen. But Cohen held his nerve, didn't do anything to blow up the case, and even came across as sympathetic to the jurors. Trump's defense team has failed him.
• Pro-Trump narrative, as provided by PJ Media. It doesn't take much to throw doubt on Cohen's credibility — after all, he's a convicted perjurer. There's no way a jury can take Cohen's testimony seriously, and the only way Trump doesn't beat these politically-motivated, overblown charges is if the mostly Democratic jurors can't get over their own biases.

Predictions