Trump trial: Biden calls Trump's remarks 'dangerous'

Defense attorney Todd Blanche told jurors that Michael Cohen's one-time legal adviser Robert Costello -- the only substantive defense witness -- offered testimony to demonstrate that Cohen lied on the witness stand.

Blanche argued that Cohen lied about what he asked of Costello and how often they communicated.

"It's just another example of Mr. Cohen taking the witness stand and lying to you," Blanche said, suggesting that Cohen lied on the stand enough times that the jury should consider throwing out his entire testimony.

"I don't know how many lies are enough lies just to reject Mr. Cohen's testimony ... big or small, meaningful or not meaningful, but that was a lie," Blanche said.

Blanche argued that prosecutors attempted to prop up Cohen's credibility by offering phone records to corroborate his testimony, but the strategy backfired.

"They showed him phone records and they showed him calls between him and others to help his testimony seem more corroborate and more credible," Blanche said. "We all know how that ended."

Raising his voice, Blanche reminded the jury about the inconsistency he highlighted in Cohen's testimony about a October 24, 2016, phone call.

"It was a lie!" Blanche shouted. "That was a lie and he got caught red-handed!"

"That is perjury!" Blanche shouted, drawing out each syllable.

"They are perfectly happy to have a witness commit perjury to lie to you," Blanche said, prompting an objection from prosecutors.

"Sustained," said Judge Merchan.

Defense attorney Todd Blanche suggested to the jury why Stormy Daniels was called as a witness, given there was no dispute about a nondisclosure agreement being signed and that she knew nothing about the records in question.

"I'll tell you why -- they did it to try to inflame your emotions. They did it to try to embarrass President Trump" Blanche said.

It drew a loud objection from prosecutors that was overruled.

Trump has disputed the sexual encounter ever happened.

Defense attorney Todd Blanche says argued that Trump's concern about the "Access Hollywood" tape was primarily related to his family, not his campaign.

"Nobody wants their family exposed to that type of story," Blanche said. "He was concerned about his family, he was concerned about his wife."

Prosecutors have alleged that the release of the "Access Hollywood" tape motivated Trump to buy Daniels' story to help his political ambitions, but defense attorneys say Trump's main concern in October 2016 -- regarding both the "Access Hollywood" tape and Stormy Daniels allegations -- was his family.

"It was not a doomsday event," Blanche said of the "Access Hollywood" tape. "He never thought it was going to cause him to lose the campaign, and indeed it didn't."

But Blanche argued that Michael Cohen overreacted to the "Access Hollywood" story, and that Cohen created a problem for him to fix.

Advancing his argument that Trump was extorted by Stormy Daniels, defense attorney Todd Blanche told jurors that Stormy Daniels and her agent Gina Rodrgiuez saw a "time to strike" after the release of the infamous "Access Hollywood" tape.

"Ms. Daniels and Ms. Rodriguez seized an opportunity," Blanche said. "They came back to Mr. Howard again and said ... now it is the time to strike."

Turning a prosecution argument on its head, Blanche argued that rather than being the catalyst for the Daniels hush payment and the eventual falsifying of business records, the "Access Hollywood" was Daniels and Rodriguez seizing an "opportunity."

Shouting emphatically, Blanche ticked through the three alleged catch and kills in an attempt to shred prosecutors' theory that they constituted a conspiracy to influence the election.

The doorman story was "not true," he said. Susan McDougal didn't want her story out. Daniels came forward after the "Access Hollywood tape" and David Pecker said, "Nah, I want nothing to do with it,' Blanche said.

"That's the conspiracy?!" Blanche yelled. "That's the three catch and kills!?"