During Trump’s criminal trial, Michael Cohen testified as the prosecution’s star witness. Several high-profile GOP allies joined Trump at the Lower Manhattan court to show support for the former president. House Speaker Mike Johnson criticized Cohen, calling him a man seeking personal revenge with a history of lying. Johnson emphasized that no one should believe Cohen’s testimony, given his past perjury and lack of reliability. Other Republicans, including Reps. Byron Donalds and Cory Mills, Gov. Doug Burgum, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, attended the trial to support Trump.
Cohen is the star witness for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg in the case alleging that Trump falsified business records related to a payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. Trump is facing 34 counts of falsifying business records and maintains his innocence. Cohen testified that he was reimbursed $420,000 for the $130,000 payment to Daniels, with former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg suggesting he “gross up” the payments. Cohen confirmed that Trump knew about the details of the reimbursement plan.
Despite the gag order imposed on Trump by Judge Juan Merchan, Cohen revealed details about his interactions with Trump and the reimbursement for the payment to Daniels. Trump’s attorneys appealed the gag order, arguing that it violated his First Amendment rights, but the appeal was denied by the Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court. During cross-examination, Cohen admitted to lying to Congress, the country, and his family in 2017. Cohen also faced questions about his negative statements regarding Trump in the media and online.
In the ongoing trial, Cohen has made several appearances and recorded podcasts mentioning Trump extensively. He denied being obsessed with Trump but acknowledged admiring him. Cohen also met with former New York prosecutor Mark Pomerantz, who resigned in 2022 when Bragg took over the Manhattan DA’s probe of Trump. Cohen had hoped for a public acknowledgment of his cooperation with the investigation to potentially reduce his sentence. Blanche, Trump’s attorney, continued to question Cohen on past statements and interactions with the DA’s office.
The prosecution indicated that Cohen would be the final witness in the trial. The defense has the opportunity to continue cross-examining Cohen on Thursday, as court does not meet on Wednesdays. Despite the growing support for Trump from GOP allies at the courthouse, the trial has become highly politicized, with allegations that it is more about politics than justice. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges and continues to maintain his innocence in the case involving the alleged falsification of business records and payment to Stormy Daniels. Cohen’s testimony has been a critical aspect of the prosecution’s case against Trump.
