Cohen provided evidence that Trump had falsified business records to cover up hush money payments to Stormy Daniels.
Michael Cohen testified against Donald Trump in Manhattan criminal court on May 14, 2024.
Trump was involved in the arrangement of these payments and had knowledge of them.
In a Manhattan criminal court on May 14, 2024, Michael Cohen, the former lawyer for Donald Trump, testified against his former boss in a trial related to hush money payments made to Stormy Daniels. Cohen's testimony came during the second day of his appearance in court and was aimed at providing evidence that Trump had falsified business records to cover up these payments. Todd Blanche, Trump's current lawyer, attempted to put Cohen on the defensive by questioning his motives and suggesting that he was obsessed with Trump and seeking revenge.
Cohen began by describing the moment when he broke from his former boss. He then provided details about the hush money payments made to Daniels in 2017, which were intended to prevent voters from discovering an alleged affair between Trump and Daniels. Cohen also testified that Trump had knowledge of these payments and was involved in their arrangement.
Despite Blanche's efforts to discredit Cohen, the former lawyer remained composed on the stand. He did not lose his composure or provide any inconsistencies that could undermine the prosecution's case. The trial is ongoing, with Cohen set to continue testifying on Wednesday.
Cohen described the moment when he broke from his former boss:
Cohen has already directly implicated Trump in making payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels to cover-up their alleged affair and apparently corroborated prosecution evidence that the scheme was meant to influence the 2016 election. (Trump has denied an affair and pleaded not guilty).
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(30%)
The article contains several examples of emotional manipulation and selective reporting. The author uses phrases like 'grifter' and 'waffler' to manipulate the reader's emotions towards Michael Cohen. The author also only reports details that support the idea that Cohen is trying to damage Trump's reputation, while ignoring any information that might cast doubt on this narrative. For example, the article mentions that Cohen has built up a lucrative business since becoming estranged from Trump, but it does not mention that he has also written books critical of other politicians and public figures. This selective reporting creates an unfair and one-sided view of the situation.
He drew jurors’ attention to a social media post in which Cohen wore a T-shirt that depicted Trump in jail, as he spun a narrative of bias and obsession.
But jurors don’t have to like Cohen. They just have to believe him.
The jury doesn’t have to like Cohen. They just have to believe him.
Fallacies
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Bias
(90%)
The author, Stephen Collinson, demonstrates a clear bias against Donald Trump in this article. He repeatedly refers to Trump as a 'former president' and 'ex-president', implying a negative connotation. The author also uses derogatory language to describe Trump such as 'boorish cartoon misogynist' and 'cheeto-dusted cartoon villain'. The author also quotes Michael Moore, a CNN legal analyst, who calls Cohen a 'grifter and a waffler'. These statements are not factual and reflect the author's personal opinion of Trump.
,
Blanche took Cohen through a long list of the insults he’s unleashed at Trump since becoming estranged from his former mentor, highlighting his penchant for serial lying.
But critically, he didn’t lose his composure on the stand. So far, he’s avoided traps that would fatally undermine the case.
Cohen has already directly implicated Trump in making payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels to cover-up their alleged affair and apparently corroborated prosecution evidence that the scheme was meant to influence the 2016 election. (Trump has denied an affair and pleaded not guilty).
He asked if Cohen had called Trump a ‘boorish cartoon misogynist.’ Cohen replied, ‘Sounds like something I would say.’ Then Trump’s attorney inquired if he’d mocked the ex-president as a ‘cheeto-dusted cartoon villain.’
It would be no surprise if the jury in Donald Trump’s first criminal trial now sees his former fixer, Michael Cohen, as a profane social media troll and vengeful liar who dreams of seeing the boss he once worshipped behind bars.
Michael Moore, a former US attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, said that the defense had made some progress in impeaching Cohen’s credibility. “I really took away that the jury is probably seeing and thinking right now that Cohen is a grifter and a waffler,” said Moore, a CNN legal analyst.
Some legal experts on Tuesday questioned the tone and tactics adopted by Blanche in the court.
The presumptive GOP nominee, meanwhile, is due to take the opportunity to launch a fundraising swing through Ohio and Kentucky before court resumes Thursday.
Michael Cohen is the prosecution's star witness in Donald Trump’s criminal trial.
Cohen provided critical details about Trump’s knowledge of the cover-up at the heart of the case during his direct examination.
Cohen described Trump’s efforts to maintain his loyalty after the FBI raided Cohen’s home and office in 2018.
Cohen told the jury that he regretted what he had done for Trump and violated his moral compass, causing penalty for himself and his family.
Cohen described a pressure campaign by figures in Trump’s inner circle to convince him to remain loyal after the FBI raid, including a backchannel attempt by attorney Robert Costello between Cohen, Rudy Giuliani and ultimately Trump himself.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(30%)
The article contains emotional manipulation and selective reporting. The author uses phrases like 'everyone was waiting to see the Trump team’s strategy for depicting Cohen as a liar with a vendetta' and 'it lacked the pop that many had expected'. These phrases are designed to elicit an emotional response from readers, creating sensationalism. Additionally, the article selectively reports on certain aspects of the trial, such as Cohen's use of expletives during his TikTok videos and Trump's comments about Cohen on Twitter. These details are presented in a way that implies they are significant to the case when they may not be.
it lacked the pop that many had expected
everyone was waiting to see the Trump team’s strategy for depicting Cohen as a liar with a vendetta
Fallacies
(85%)
The author uses inflammatory rhetoric by quoting Cohen's expletive-laden TikTok comments about Trump and referring to him as a 'dictator douchebag' and Trump being put 'into that little cage'. This is an appeal to emotion and a form of ad hominem fallacy.
Cohen maintained a largely placid demeanor, calling Blanche ‘sir’, and declining to offer colorful descriptions of the events Blanche questioned him about. But when Blanche tried to depict Cohen as a blabbermouth who has frustrated the Manhattan district attorney’s office by repeatedly going on TV to talk about the case against Trump, Cohen said he didn’t recall many requests by prosecutors to keep quiet and insisted they had only occasionally asked him, ‘please don’t talk about the case.’ Blanche, trying to goad him into saying how much he relishes seeing Trump behind bars, asked: ‘Have you regularly commented on your podcast that you want President Trump convicted in this case?’ Cohen responded: 'Sure.'
But when Blanche tried to depict Cohen as a blabbermouth who has frustrated the Manhattan district attorney’s office by repeatedly going on TV to talk about the case against Trump, Cohen said he didn’t recall many requests by prosecutors to keep quiet and insisted they had only occasionally asked him, ‘please don’t talk about the case.’ Blanche, trying to goad him into saying how much he relishes seeing Trump behind bars, asked: ‘Have you regularly commented on your podcast that you want President Trump convicted in this case?’ Cohen responded: 'Sure.'
Cohen described a pressure campaign by figures in Trump’s inner circle – and Trump himself – to convince him to remain loyal after he was raided by the FBI. (That raid, incidentally, was part of a campaign-finance investigation tied to the same hush money payment that is now at the center of Trump’s case.)
Trump acknowledged these surrogates and their ‘beautiful’ comments in remarks to reporters Tuesday, but declined to say if they were making those statements at his behest. There’s probably a reason for that: The gag order doesn’t just restrict Trump’s own comments; it also forbids him from ‘directing others’ to attack people whom the gag places off-limits.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), who visited the courthouse on Monday as part of Trump’s entourage, suggested that circumventing the gag order was precisely why he and his allies assembled. He said lawmakers were joining Trump at court to help ‘Overcome this gag order’ and to be able to ‘speak our piece for President Trump.’
Bias
(80%)
The author does not directly demonstrate bias in the article. However, the author does mention Cohen's use of expletives towards Trump and Trump's team on TikTok and his desire to see Trump convicted in this case. These statements could be seen as reflecting a negative opinion towards Trump.
Cohen also read a series of tweets Trump sent soon after the FBI raid. ‘Most people will flip if the Government lets them out of trouble,’ Trump wrote in the tweets. ‘Sorry, I don’t see Michael doing that despite the horrible Witch Hunt and the dishonest media!’ Cohen told jurors the message was clear: ‘Don’t flip.’
Cohen described a pressure campaign by figures in Trump’s inner circle – and Trump himself – to convince him to remain loyal after he was raided by the FBI. (That raid, incidentally, was part of a campaign-finance investigation tied to the same hush money payment that is now at the center of Trump’s case.)
Cohen maintained a largely placid demeanor, calling Blanche ‘sir’, and declining to offer colorful descriptions of the events Blanche questioned him about. But when Blanche tried to depict Cohen as a blabbermouth who has frustrated the Manhattan district attorney’s office by repeatedly going on TV to talk about the case against Trump, Cohen said he didn’t recall many requests by prosecutors to keep quiet and insisted they had only occasionally asked him, ‘please don’t talk about the case.’
Cohen told jurors that he decided to cooperate with authorities after realizing his loyalty was to his family, not to Trump.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), who visited the courthouse on Monday as part of Trump’s entourage, suggested that circumventing the gag order was precisely why he and his allies assembled. He said lawmakers were joining Trump at court to help ‘Overcome this gag order’ and to be able to ‘speak our piece for President Trump.’
Trump acknowledged these surrogates and their ‘beautiful’ comments in remarks to reporters Tuesday, but declined to say if they were making those statements at his behest. There’s probably a reason for that: The gag order doesn’t just restrict Trump’s own comments; it also forbids him from ‘directing others’ to attack people whom the gag places off-limits.
