Trump LOSES IT Over SHOCKING MOMENT at Trial
Summary
TLDRIn a recent court hearing, Michael Cohen, former personal attorney to Donald Trump, provided detailed testimony against Trump, systematically presenting evidence including documents, phone records, checks, and text messages. Cohen's testimony aimed to corroborate his claims about Trump's actions, particularly regarding the handling of the Stormy Daniels scandal during the 2016 election. The District Attorney's office supported Cohen's testimony with documentary evidence, and Cohen admitted to his own role in the events. Despite the gravity of the situation, Trump was observed in court displaying behavior that some found absurd, such as closing his eyes and looking at unrelated photographs. The testimony is crucial as it seeks to establish Trump's motive and involvement in the $130,000 payment to Daniels to suppress her story. The court proceedings have left a significant impact on the observers, with Cohen's calm and detailed delivery contrasting sharply with the reactions of Trump and his entourage.
Takeaways
- ð Michael Cohen's testimony is meticulously detailed, methodically going through documents, phone records, checks, and text messages to corroborate his statements.
- ð The District Attorney's office is supporting Cohen's testimony with documentary evidence, such as emails, texts, and phone records, reinforcing the credibility of his claims.
- ð€ Cohen explains his phone call to Donald Trump's bodyguard was actually Trump using the bodyguard's phone, a revelation that adds to the testimony's complexity.
- ð¶ Trump and his team appeared stunned and their confidence seemed to diminish as Cohen's testimony unfolded.
- ðš Cohen has not faced cross-examination yet, which is typically more challenging, but he has remained calm and composed throughout the direct examination.
- ð£ïž Cohen's delivery is described as confident and factual, aligning with someone telling the whole truth, which is important for the perception of his credibility.
- ð Trump's defense appears to be crumbling under Cohen's thorough and detailed testimony, which is damaging to Trump's case.
- ðž The payment to Stormy Daniels was a significant point of the testimony, with Cohen detailing the pressure and instructions from Trump to handle the situation discreetly.
- ð The timeline of events leading up to the 2016 election and the handling of the Stormy Daniels story was a key focus, highlighting Trump's priorities and reactions.
- ðš There was a significant amount of corroborating documentation presented, including texts from Melania Trump and emails with Keith Davidson, providing a paper trail for the events in question.
- ð¥ The presence of Trump's entourage, including Republican Senators, in court added to the spectacle but their confidence seemed to wane as the testimony continued.
Q & A
How was Donald Trump and his team described after Michael Cohen's testimony?
-Donald Trump and his team were described as stunned into silence, submission, and utterly befuddled after Michael Cohen's testimony.
What did Michael Cohen methodically go through during his testimony?
-Michael Cohen methodically went through each document, phone record, check, and text message, corroborating each and everything he said.
What did Ron Philip Kowski, the editor-in-chief, explain about the District Attorney's office during the examination of Michael Cohen?
-Ron Philip Kowski explained that the District Attorney's office, during their direct examination of Michael Cohen, was corroborating every single word Cohen was testifying to with documentary evidence such as phone records, emails, and texts.
Why did Michael Cohen call Donald Trump's bodyguard's phone?
-Michael Cohen called Donald Trump's bodyguard's phone because it was actually Donald Trump using Keith Schiller's phone.
What was the reaction of the people in the court to Donald Trump's team during the testimony?
-Those who were in the court saw the confidence of Donald Trump's team peel away from their faces as Michael Cohen dismantled their defenses.
What was Michael Cohen's demeanor during his testimony according to the observers?
-Michael Cohen was described as calm, thorough, detailed, and credible throughout his testimony. He was not rushed and was very clear while answering questions.
What was the main focus of Donald Trump during the 2016 election according to Michael Cohen?
-According to Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's sole focus was on the 2016 election and to delay any payments to Stormy Daniels that he was trying to avoid paying.
How did Donald Trump react to the potential public disclosure of the Stormy Daniels story?
-Donald Trump was very angry about the potential public disclosure of the Stormy Daniels story and told Michael Cohen that he thought Cohen had it under control.
What was the final decision regarding the payment to Stormy Daniels after discussions between Michael Cohen and Donald Trump?
-The final decision was that Michael Cohen should just take care of it, implying that he should make the payment to Stormy Daniels to get rid of the issue, with the assurance that he would be reimbursed.
What evidence was presented to corroborate Michael Cohen's testimony regarding the payment to Stormy Daniels?
-Evidence included text messages, emails between Cohen and Keith Davidson, bank account information, and call logs that showed many calls between Cohen, Trump, and others involved in the situation.
How did the judge and other observers in the courtroom perceive Michael Cohen's testimony?
-The judge and other observers found Michael Cohen's testimony to be compelling, with Cohen coming across as poised, cool, calm, and collected, making him a strong witness for the prosecution.
Outlines
ð Michael Cohen's Testimony Against Trump
The first paragraph describes the impact of Michael Cohen's testimony on Donald Trump and his team. Cohen meticulously presented evidence corroborating his claims, which included documents, phone records, checks, and text messages. The District Attorney's office supported Cohen's testimony with documentary evidence, and Cohen explained his interactions with Trump, including a call made to Trump using the phone of Keith Schiller. The paragraph also highlights the presence of Republican Senators in court and the gradual loss of confidence on Trump's team's faces as the testimony progressed. Cohen's demeanor during the direct examination was calm and confident, and he was able to maintain his composure despite expectations to the contrary. The paragraph concludes with a mention of Cohen's admission of his ego and willingness to take responsibility for his actions, as well as a significant moment in the testimony regarding Trump's reaction to the resurface of Stormy Daniels' story.
ðŒ Trump's Instructions on Handling Stormy Daniels' Payment
The second paragraph details the financial arrangement between Michael Cohen and Donald Trump regarding the payment to Stormy Daniels. Cohen began working for Trump in 2007 and was given specific tasks, including managing the situation with Stormy Daniels. Trump was concerned about the potential public disclosure of the story and its impact on the election. Cohen quoted Trump expressing the story as a disaster and detailing his concerns about how it would be perceived by women. The paragraph outlines the negotiation process of the non-disclosure agreement (NDA), the involvement of various parties, and the eventual decision to proceed with the payment to Daniels. It also includes text messages and emails that were part of the evidence presented, as well as Cohen's panic upon realizing the story would go public and his subsequent actions to secure the payment. The paragraph concludes with Cohen's testimony about the phone call with Trump, where he was instructed to handle the payment and ensure the story was suppressed.
ð Call Logs and Trump's Campaign Strategy
The third paragraph discusses the call logs presented during the trial that corroborate Cohen's testimony about the numerous calls he had with senior Trump campaign officials when the Wall Street Journal story about the NDA with Karen McDougal broke. Cohen explains the reason for these calls was to align the campaign's talking points regarding the cover story. The paragraph also highlights Cohen's upset with David Pecker, whom he believed leaked the NDA story. Furthermore, it details the calls between Cohen and Trump's bodyguard, Keith Schiller, which were a cover for Trump's communication with Cohen. The paragraph includes observations from a retired judge and a CNN reporter present in the courtroom, noting Trump's apparent anger and the impact of Cohen's testimony on the jury. The paragraph concludes with commentary on Trump's behavior during the proceedings and the anticipation of the cross-examination.
Mindmap
Keywords
ð¡Michael Cohen
ð¡Donald Trump
ð¡Testimony
ð¡Documentary Evidence
ð¡Cross-Examination
ð¡Stormy Daniels
ð¡Hush Money
ð¡Keith Schiller
ð¡David Pecker
ð¡Alleged Election Interference
ð¡Corroboration
Highlights
Michael Cohen's testimony against Donald Trump was methodical, going through documents, phone records, checks, and text messages to corroborate his statements.
District Attorney's office corroborated Michael Cohen's testimony with documentary evidence during the direct examination.
Cohen explained why records showed him calling Trump's bodyguard's phone, as it was actually Trump using Keith Schiller's phone.
Despite Trump's confident appearance with his entourage in court, observers noted a visible loss of confidence as the testimony continued.
Commentators initially doubted Cohen's ability to hold together during the direct examination, but he remained calm and factual.
Katie Fang reported that Cohen's testimony was calm, thorough, detailed, and credible throughout the day.
Cohen admitted to reacting out of ego in certain situations and accepted responsibility for his behavior.
Trump was reported to be angry about Stormy Daniels' story and told Cohen to take care of it during the 2016 election.
Cohen detailed his work for Trump since 2007, including handling reorganization and bankruptcy issues.
Trump allegedly instructed Cohen to delay payments to Stormy Daniels, showing a disregard for the agreed hush money deal.
Cohen testified that Trump's focus was solely on the election and avoiding negative publicity regarding the Daniels case.
Trump's instructions to Cohen were to handle the Daniels situation, with Cohen eventually paying out of his own pocket expecting reimbursement.
Text messages from Melania Trump to Cohen were presented as evidence, showing her involvement and communication regarding Trump.
Cohen's testimony included a detailed account of the negotiation and payment process to Stormy Daniels.
The prosecution presented call logs and other corroborating evidence to support Cohen's testimony.
Cohen's admission of minor inconsistencies in his testimony added to the credibility of his overall account.
A retired judge observed the jury's rapt attention to Cohen's compelling testimony, highlighting its potential impact on their perception of the case.
Lawrence O'Donnell commented on Trump's behavior in court, noting his lack of engagement with the proceedings.
Transcripts
stunned into silence stunned into
submission utterly befuddled this is how
Donald Trump and his team of lawyers and
his Entourage were described as looking
after the morning recess concluded with
Michael Cohen testifying and it went
from bad to even worse for Donald Trump
as Michael Cohen methodically went
through each d document each phone
record each check each text message
corroborating each and everything that
he said Ron Philip Kowski our
editorinchief explained that the
District Attorney's office on their
direct examination of Michael Cohen is
corroborating quite literally every
single word Michael Cohen is testifying
to with the documentary evidence like
phone records emails and texts pull that
back up for one second as as well
Michael Cohen is also explaining the
reason why records showed him calling
Donald Trump's bodyguards phone um
because it was actually Donald Trump
using the phone of Keith Schiller as
you'll recall Donald Trump showed up in
court with an Entourage comprised of
Maga Republican Senators like JD Vance
from Ohio um he also showed up with
Tommy tuberville from Alabama and they
were trying to act all confident but for
those who were in the court they saw
their confidence peel away on their face
as Michael Cohen just ripped apart any
of the tempted defenses that Donald
Trump's uh trying to assert here now
look let's be very clear Cohen has not
faced cross-examination yet and we all
thought that direct examination like
it's usually the case would be one of
the easier parts of this but there were
a lot of uh commentator saying that
Cohen wasn't going to be able to hold it
together and that Cohen was this and
Cohen was that but you all know from
watching the mightest touch Network on
political Beatdown that I co-host with
Michael Cohen Maya Cula which was here
on the midest studge network and Michael
Cohen's other appearances on the network
that Michael Cohen is calm he is
confident he's got his facts together
because he lived it and Michael Cohen's
delivery is exactly what you would
expect of someone who's telling the
truth the whole truth and nothing but
the truth and Michael Cohen is not
cowering he's not afraid to testify
Michael Cohen wants to tell the truth
about everything that happened Katie
Fang is in the courtroom and lots of
people I spoke to Echo exactly what
Katie Fang says here about the direct
testimony of Michael Cohen here's what
Katie Fang says but I've spoken to now
about half a dozen people in the
courtroom who all basically give a
version of this here's what Katie Fang
says for those of you asking Michael
Cohen has been calm thorough detailed
and credible all day long he is not
rushed his testimony and he has been
very clear while answering questions
Cohen has been walking the jury through
several exhibits that were already
entered into evidence adding more color
to prior testimony provided by other
Witnesses thus far accepting a few minor
inconsistencies the collective testimony
has been consistent and I think that is
very important when you have all of this
corroborating documentation all of this
corroborating testimony all of this
corroborating information and there were
times during the direct testimony as
well that Cohen admitted that look I may
have reacted this way because of my ego
I may be upset about this and he
accepted responsibility for his behavior
as well during these uh key moments that
are the relevant time period of this uh
criminal case here was a very important
moment during the testimony where
Michael Cohen said that uh you know as
as the as this election was approaching
in 2016 Donald Trump was very angry
about the stormy d Daniel's story and
Donald Trump said to him quote I thought
you had this under control I thought you
took care of this to which Michael Cohen
said he replied that he did take care of
it in 2011 um but now it's resurfacing
again in
2016 and that Trump said to Cohen just
take care of it there's a lot going on
at the campaign at the time just take
care of it now we know that Michael
Cohen began working for Donald Trump in
2007 Cohen talks about helping Donald
Trump with some reorganization and
bankruptcy type issues that Donald Trump
then offered Michael Cohen a full-time
job to work directly for the Trump
organization um in L of or in place of
Donald Trump actually paying Cohen's
Bill Cohen was making about half a
million dollars a year
$525,000 working for Donald Trump for
about uh 10 11 years he worked for
Donald Trump from 20 from 2007 uh
through
2017 um and Cohen detailed the specific
tasks that Donald Trump gave him and
Cohen gave all of these all of the
specific details um Michael Cohen quoted
Donald Trump as saying to him about the
stormy Daniel story potentially becoming
public quote this is a disaster this is
a total disaster women are going to hate
me God eyes they think it's cool Cohen
says he then broached the subject of
Donald Trump's wife Melania by saying
how are things going
upstairs according to Cohen Donald Trump
replied don't worry how long do you
think I'll be on the market for not long
yet another time that Melania has been
humiliated and embarrassed uh in this
case in this uh trial what Michael Cohen
says is that Donald Trump's sole Focus
was the 26 election and to also drag out
any payments to stormmy Daniels that
Trump was trying to not pay stormmy
Daniels the
$130,000 even after they entered into
the hush money deal because Trump had
told Cohen after the election it's not
going to matter anyway so just try to
delay delay delay but then what ended up
happening was Stormy Daniels lawyer
Keith Davidson according to the
testimony of Michael Cohen said all
right the deals off we're going public
with this right now um I have been
advised by stormmy Daniels to make it
very clear that we will be making this
public and and we view the deal being
off to which point Cohen immediately
went to Donald Trump and then Trump
spoke with the campaign team and Trump
basically went back to Cohen and the
instructions from Trump to Cohen were
basically just just take care of it like
just make the payment you have nothing
to worry about you know Trump's
billionaire Cohen just make the payment
get rid of it get this done that's part
of what Cohen testified today we have
text messages like this from Melania as
well um on October 18 2016 Melania Trump
texted Cohen uh good morning Michael can
you please call DT referring to Donald
Trump on his cell of course Cohen
quickly replied DT of course meant
Donald Trump um there are emails with
Cohen and Keith Davids there are more
emails there's bank account information
there's text messages back and forth um
that Cohen is on this is from our
article at mest touch.com by Ron Philip
Kowski who also put together the
reporting of people like Adam klasfeld
and Katie Fang and others who are uh in
the courtroom here's how uh we describe
it on mest touch.com the deal was
negotiated with stormy's attorney Keith
Davidson um by Howard but then Ami by
Howard Dylan but then Ami was taken
completely out of the loop because David
pcker didn't want them involved with
payment since Trump had already stiffed
them on the on the Karen McDougall
payment Cohen agreed to pay Daniels
13,000 no later than October uh 14th
Cohen began to panic because he was told
that Daniels was going to take her story
to the Daily Mail he called Trump and
told him that was about to happen since
he didn't wire the money as agreed and
their plan to try and stall until after
the election wasn't going to work he
said he left a voicemail because Trump
didn't answer Cohen then received a text
message from Melania to call Trump so he
did Trump told Cohen that he had been
given advice by people in his campaign
that they need to just pay the money to
stormmy to kill the story Trump told him
to go talk to weiselberg weiselberg
suggested just have Ami pay for it but
Cohen told them they never got
reimbursed for the other stories that
they catch and killed and weren't going
to pay more to cover for Trump Cohen
suggested for weiselberg to pay but he
said he couldn't because he had four
grandchildren in prep schools he was
paying for so Cohen decided to pay it
out of his own pocket and Trump assured
him that he would be reimbursed Cohen
testified that there was no way he would
have sent the money to storm me Daniels
without Trump's prior approval for two
reasons one Trump insisted on personally
approving everything too Cohen wanted to
make sure Trump was going to reimburse
him the call introduced as evidence then
corroborated that Cohen had a 5 minute
and 16 second conversation with Trump on
October 28 2016 the same time the money
was wired to Daniels the prosecution
then went through the call logs to
corroborate many calls that Cohen had
with senior Trump a h piix when the Wall
Street Journal story broke that Ami had
signed the NDA with Karen McDougall
Cohen said the reason for so many calls
that day was to make sure all the
campaign surrogates were on the same
page pecker Davidson and Cohen on the
talking points for their cover story
Cohen said he also was extremely upset
with pecker because he believed that he
was the one who leaked the story about
the NDA the call logs also show many
calls between Cohen and pecker on that
day the prosecution then showed a lot of
calls between Cohen and Trump's
bodyguard Keith Schiller on the same day
the Wall Street Journal story broke
Cohen explained that was because he was
speaking to Trump who was using
Schiller's phone to cover the fact that
he was speaking to Cohen that day so
many times I want to share this these
observations with you as well from
others uh in the courtroom this is from
uh CNN's reporter right here retired
judge from Queens County uh Supreme
Court right here a judge Grasso here's
what he had to say play this clip he
describes an angry Trump confronting him
saying I thought you took care of it I
thought you had this under control and
then Trump going on to say according to
Michael Cohen this meaning the stormy
Daniel scenario breaking is a total
disaster women will hate me guys will
think it's cool but this is going to be
a disaster for the campaign that's
almost the last one of the last thing
the jurors heard before the lunch break
and I can tell you as I was keeping an
eye on jurors and making my notes they
seemed to me to be riveted by this
testimony this is so crucial because one
of the main goals for the prosecution
that Michael Cohen has is to establish a
motive and attent directly on Donald
Trump that would cause him to take the
steps that ultimately led to the
$130,000 payment and be involved and be
knowledgeable about it so to me by far
wolf that was the most compelling
testimony of the day so so far he's been
a strong a witness for the prosecution
is that your bottom
line absolutely he comes across Poise
cool calm and collected uh when I saw
the Trump team Trump yeah go
ahead I was going to say at the break
Trump came in with a huge Entourage
today about 23 individuals including
Senator JV van Senator Tom tuberville
when they left at the break at about
11:30 that was one somol looking group
that was my eye and I I was sitting
right in the aisle seat so I don't think
they're all too pleased about what
they're seeing so
far and here's what Lawrence O'Donnell
had to say he's in the courtroom as well
let's play this clip he the Trump
Behavior as a defendant is the most
absurd defendant Behavior I've ever seen
first of all there is the eye closing
which he now does about 10 minutes into
the proceeding and I think he's doing
that to try to prove to us that he's
actually not sleeping because it's only
9:40 a.m. uh but the eyes are closed for
extended periods of time the head starts
to tilt and then when he's not doing
that I actually saw him looking at
photographs of and I could see over his
shoulder of what what appeared to be
crowds possibly possibly photographs of
his rally this weekend stuff completely
unrelated uh to this case and
and there you have it folks we'll keep
you posted as we learn more but uh some
stunning testimony cross-examination
will likely uh begin at some point
tomorrow we'll keep you posted every
step of the way thanks for watching hit
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