Todd Blanche, Trump’s Lawyer in Hush-Money Trial, Cross-Examines Cohen – The New York Times
Trump Hush-Money Trial
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This case is Mr. Blanche’s second criminal trial as a defense lawyer. He seemed to struggle to land a “gotcha” moment on Tuesday while grilling Michael D. Cohen about a dizzying variety of interactions spanning years.
Donald J. Trump’s defense lawyer had waited a day and a half for this moment, to rise and begin the cross-examination of the prosecution’s star witness. Right out of the gate, he tried to set the tone for how the proceedings would unfold.
Did you, Todd Blanche asked Michael D. Cohen, go on TikTok and call me a “crying little shit?”
Soon afterward, there was a sidebar, out of earshot of jurors. According to a transcript, Justice Juan M. Merchan asked Mr. Blanche, “Why are you making this about yourself?” The lawyer protested, but the judge stood firm. “Just don’t make it about yourself,” he said.
That matter dispensed with, Mr. Blanche went on to ask Mr. Cohen about the T-shirts he sells online that show Mr. Trump in a jumpsuit behind bars, and about whether he lied in past interactions with federal prosecutors about, say, the Trump Tower Moscow project. As if trying to keep his cool, Mr. Cohen answered metronomically slowly at times.
Mr. Blanche seemed to struggle in his first day of cross-examination to land a “gotcha” moment on Tuesday afternoon, grilling Mr. Cohen about a dizzying variety of past interactions spanning years. This case is only Mr. Blanche’s second criminal trial as a defense lawyer, and one of his few state court engagements.
He sought to portray Mr. Cohen as a stalker bent on revenge against Mr. Trump for turning his back on him — no real surprise, considering that Mr. Cohen’s two books are titled “Disloyal” and “Revenge.”
Watching the proceedings, it could be easily forgotten that just over a year ago, Mr. Blanche was a registered Democrat in New York and a partner at Wall Street’s oldest law firm. But in the months since, he has fallen in behind his new client professionally and, it would seem, personally. He bought a home in Florida near Mar-a-Lago, where he can meet Mr. Trump with little notice, and brought his family to a Trump event on Super Tuesday.
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