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

Defense attorney Todd Blanche challenged Michael Cohen on his past lies during his sworn testimony.

Regarding Cohen's testimony before Congress in 2017, Blanche asked Cohen, "That's one of the times you have lied under oath?"

"That's correct," Cohen said.

Cohen told jurors that he has done at least 17 sworn interviews with federal agents.

"Each time you met with the federal agents, you were told that if you made a false statement that was a felony -- a federal crime?" Blanche asked.

"Yes sir," Cohen said.

Blanche hammered at the idea that Cohen knows the penalty for perjury, has testified under oath many times, and has lied before.

Defense attorney Todd Blanche, playing aloud portions of Michael Cohen's Mea Culpa podcast, told the jury that the second recording predated Trump's 2023 New York indictment, suggesting that Cohen's animosity for Trump has been consistent for years.

Continuing a similar tactic from Tuesday, Blanche then confronted Cohen with past statements about Trump on on social media.

"You called him 'Dumba-- Donald', is that correct?" Blanche asked.

"Sounds correct," Cohen said.

Blanche also asked Cohen to confirm that on April 21, 2024, he said on TikTok that he has "mental excitement over the fact that this trial was starting."

"Yes sir," Cohen said calmly, in contrast to his elevated tone the jury heard on his podcast audio.

Cohen confirmed that he made statements on social media about Trump despite knowing that a paralegal from the Manhattan district attorney's office was monitoring his posts.

Defense attorney Todd Blanche returned to questioning Michael Cohen about his Mea Culpa podcast. The jury heard an excerpt regarding Trump's indictment.

"I want to thank the Manhattan district attorneys office," Cohen said on the podcast.

"He is about to get a taste of what I went through. And I promise you, its not fun," it continued.

Jurors remained stone-faced as Cohen's excited and hyper-energized voiced came through the courtroom speakers.

"What an embarrassment it is to the office of the presidency," Cohen said in the recording, adding that the indictment "filled me with delight and sadness."

"I truly f------ hope that this man ends up in prison," Cohen said in another clip. "You better believe I want this man to go down and rot inside for what he did to me in my family."

Most of the jurors appeared to have no visible reaction to the audio. Cohen, too, remained calm on the stand, answering questions from Blanche about his own words.

Despite the text messages between Michael Cohen and and detective Jeremy Rosenberg not being admitted into evidence, Trump attorney Todd Blanche attempted to read them into the record through his questions to Cohen.

Blanche attempted to suggest that Rosenberg confirmed to Cohen that Trump had been indicted in the case last year, prior to DA announcing charges.

"Detective Rosenberg confirmed to you that the New York Times article was accurate and that President Trump had been indicted?" Blanche said, prompting an objection from prosecutors.

Cohen pushed back against the suggestion that Rosenberg confirmed the indictment of Trump before it was publicly announced.

"I asked him nice to find out," Cohen told jurors.