Trump trial: Cohen faces Trump team grilling over past lies, recollections

Defense attorney Todd Blanche asked Michael Cohen if he was angling to reduce his prison sentence when he decided to begin meeting with lawyers from the Manhattan district attorney's office in 2019.

"You were very much looking in the fall of 2019 for a way to get your sentence reduced?" Blanche asked.

"Yes, sure," Cohen responded.

Blanche suggested that attorney Anthony Scaramucci -- who Cohen said visited him in prison -- told him that cooperation might lead to a reduced sentence.

In total, Cohen said he met with prosecutors three times while incarcerated in 2019 -- on August 27, Sept. 19, and Oct. 3.

Defense attorney Todd Blanche, cross-examining Michael Cohen, sought to cast doubt on Cohen's testimony about calling Trump following the release of the infamous "Access Hollywood" tape in 2016.

Blanche showed Cohen notes from Cohen's interview with the special counsel who investigated Cohen in 2018.

"You told them you didn't recall speaking with President Trump about the tape?" Blanche asked.

Cohen responded that he was still being "loyal" to Trump at the time, in August 2018.

But by 2019, "you had changed your views about President Trump, correct?" Blanche asked.

"Correct," Cohen responded.

"You now said President Trump was a conman and you were ashamed?" Blanche asked.

"I said that, yes," Cohen answered.

During an extended back-and-forth, Michael Cohen struggled to admit that he lied to the special counsel in 2018 about Trump's involvement in a Trump Tower project in Moscow.

"Yes, the information I have was not accurate," Cohen said.

"Is it a lie?" Defense attorney Todd Blanche asked.

"It was inaccurate, yes," Cohen said.

"Was it a lie?" Blanche asked.

"I don't know if I would characterize it as a lie. It was inaccurate," Cohen said.

"How are you distinguishing that in your head?" Blanche asked.

"It wasn't truthful," Cohen said. "If you want to call it a lie, it was a lie."

After a long pause, Cohen said, "Sure, I will say it's a lie."

"You're actually obsessed with President Trump?" Blanche asked, pursuing a line of inquiry that he drew attention to in the defense's opening statement.

"I don't know that I would characterize obsessed," Cohen said. "I can't recall using that word, but I can't say it would be wrong."

Blanche asked if Cohen was "knee-deep in the cult of Donald Trump" when he said flattering things about Trump in the past.

"That's how I felt," Cohen said.

"Fair to say you admired President Trump when you were working for him?" Blanche asked.

"Yes sir," Cohen said.

Blanche questioned Cohen about Trump's book "The Art of the Deal," which Cohen has read more than once. Blanche noted that Cohen has publicly called the book a "masterpiece."

Cohen replied, "I viewed it as an excellent book."

"You've actually called it a masterpiece?" Blanche asked.

"Yes, a masterpiece," Cohen said.

As Blanche asked Cohen about his past praise of the former president, Trump quickly grabbed a stack of Post-it notes from the counsel table, jotted down a note, and passed it to attorney Emil Bove, who Trump poked to get his attention.