Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen dropped a bomb in court when he recounted former President Donald Trump’s reaction to the prospect of wife Melania Trump finding out about an alleged sexual encounter.
After a week that featured over six hours of testimony from Stormy Daniels in the hush money-election interference trial, Monday will see the all-important testimony of former Trump attorney/fixer Michael Cohen — who is the linchpin in the prosecution’s case that Trump’s alleged falsification of business records constitutes a felony plot to interfere in the presidential election.
Among the revelations Cohen made on the witness stand was a stunningly flippant reaction that Cohen says he got from Trump when he asked about how Mrs. Trump might take it if the story of Trump’s sexual encounter with Daniels came out.
From The New York Times live updates:
Jonathan Swan
May 13, 2024, 12:48 p.m. ETMichael Cohen says that Trump explicitly told him they needed to do whatever they could to suppress Stormy Daniels’s story until at least after the election, because it wouldn’t matter at that point.
Maggie Haberman
May 13, 2024, 12:50 p.m. ETCohen also recalls asking Trump how Melania Trump might take everything that was happening. He describes Trump’s reply as follows: “He goes, ‘How long do you think I’ll be on the market for? Not long.’ He wasn’t thinking about Melania. This was all about the campaign.”
This is a hearsay conversation, and if defense lawyers challenge it during cross-examination, Cohen’s credibility will be at issue.
CNN reported Trump “smirked and shook his head” at the revelation:
While discussing the Stormy Daniels deal, Michael Cohen said he raised Melania to Trump.
“Don’t worry, he goes how long do you think I’ll be on the market for? Not long. He wasn’t thinking about Melania. This was all about the campaign.”
Trump smirked and shook his head when Cohen made his remarks about Melania.
Cohen will likely be cross-examined by Trump attorney Todd Blanche — but it’s an open question whether he’ll want this testimony repeated.
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