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

The defense questioned Trump's former lawyer on Day 18 of the hush money trial.

Former President Donald Trump is on trial in New York City, where he is facing felony charges related to a 2016 hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. It marks the first time in history that a former U.S. president has been tried on criminal charges.

Trump last April pleaded not guilty to a 34-count indictment charging him with falsifying business records in connection with a hush money payment his then-attorney Michael Cohen made to Daniels in order to boost his electoral prospects in the 2016 presidential election.


What to know about the hush money case

READ MORE: Here's what you need to know about the historic case.


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Cohen struggles to say when an untruth is a lie

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."


Defense presses Cohen on past admiration for Trump

"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.


Defense asks Cohen about anti-Trump T-shirt

Jurors were shown a series of items that Michael Cohen sells.

"This is a $32 shirt that has a picture of President Trump in an orange jumpsuit behind bars?" Defense attorney Todd Blanche asked.

"That's what the picture shows," Cohen answered.

"You actually wore that T-shirt on your TikTok last week?" Blanche said.

"I did," Cohen said.

Defense lawyers asked for the judge to order Cohen to stop commenting about Trump last week after they flagged Cohen wearing the shirt on a TikTok live stream, ABC News reported on Friday.


Cohen says he wants to see Trump convicted

Under cross-examination, Michael Cohen conceded he wants to see Trump found guilty.

"Have you regularly commented on your podcast that you want President Trump to be convicted in this case?" Blanche asked.

"Yes, probably," Cohen said. "I don't specifically know if I used those words but, yes, I would like to see that."

Blanched pressed for a definitive answer.

"I would like to see accountability. That's not for me. That's for the jury and this court," Cohen said.

Blanche pressed, asking, "Do you want President Trump to get convicted in this case?"

Cohen ultimately responded: "Sure."


Cohen testifies about Trump Tower meeting

Before Trump announced his bid for the presidency, Michael Cohen recalled Trump warning him about stories that might emerge about his past interactions with various women.

"You know that when this comes out, meaning the announcement, just be prepared there's going to be a lot of women coming forward," Cohen recalled Trump saying.

Cohen recounted the August 2015 Trump Tower meeting where then-National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, Trump and Cohen agreed to the basics of a catch-and-kill scheme.

"What was discussed is the power of the National Enquirer in terms of being located at the cash register of so many supermarkets and bodegas. That if we can place positive stories about Mr. Trump that would be beneficial, and if we could place negative stories about some of the other candidates, that would also be beneficial," Cohen said.

"What he said was that he could keep an eye out for anything negative about Mr. Trump and that he would be able to help us know in advance what was coming out and try to stop it from coming out," Cohen said of Pecker, echoing Pecker's testimony from three weeks ago.