Fox News legal analyst Gregg Jarrett criticized Michael Cohen’s performance during his cross-examination in the criminal hush money trial against former President Donald Trump, calling it “devastating” to the prosecution’s case. Trump, who is the presumptive 2024 Republican presidential nominee, is facing charges related to hush money paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign. Cohen, a disbarred lawyer and former Trump attorney, previously pleaded guilty to tax evasion, bank fraud, campaign finance violations, and lying to Congress. He recently testified before the prosecution and was cross-examined by Trump’s defense team for two days.
During the cross-examination, Cohen was questioned about phone records and text messages related to the hush money payment to Daniels. Trump’s defense team presented a text message exchange between Cohen and then-Trump bodyguard Keith Schiller, where Cohen asked about harassing phone calls and later testified that he had spoken with Trump about the issue. However, further evidence presented during the trial suggested that Cohen had lied about the conversation with Trump, undermining his credibility as a witness. Jarrett argued that this revelation was a “devastating” blow to the prosecution’s case.
The jury, consisting of 12 members, is tasked with determining whether Trump is guilty or not guilty of the 34 offenses charged. The New York State Unified Court System allows jurors to disregard a witness’s testimony if they find that the witness intentionally testified falsely about a material fact. Jarrett believes that without Cohen’s testimony, there would be no case against Trump, as no one else ties him to the alleged crimes listed in the indictment. Other legal analysts, such as former U.S. assistant attorney Glenn Kirschner, believe that Cohen’s testimony has helped bolster the prosecution’s case.
Despite differing opinions among legal experts, it is clear that Cohen’s credibility as a witness has been called into question during the trial. CNN host Anderson Cooper expressed doubts about Cohen’s testimony, stating that he would think Cohen was making up information as he went along. Former U.S. attorney Barbara McQuade emphasized that while the prosecution highlighted Cohen’s flaws as a witness, the jury may still believe him based on the supporting evidence presented. The prosecution is expected to rest its case soon after Cohen finishes his testimony, with Trump’s defense team set to conclude their cross-examination on Monday.
The trial marks a historic moment as Trump becomes the first former president in U.S. history to stand trial in a criminal case. The charges against him, stemming from alleged falsification of business records related to hush money payments, have been vehemently denied by Trump, who views the case as politically motivated. As the trial continues to unfold, the credibility of key witnesses like Cohen will play a crucial role in shaping the outcome of the case. The legal analysts’ assessments of Cohen’s testimony, both positive and negative, shed light on the complexities of witness credibility and the challenges faced by the prosecution in proving its case against Trump.
