The Rachel Maddow Show 5/18/24 | 🅼🆂🅽🅱🅲 Breaking News May 18, 2024
Summary
TLDRIn a pivotal moment of the criminal trial against former President Donald Trump, his longtime lawyer and 'fixer,' Michael Cohen, testified that Trump personally approved and directed hush money payments to Stormy Daniels during the 2016 campaign. Cohen's testimony aimed to show Trump's direct involvement in a scheme to suppress negative information and benefit his campaign. The prosecution's case relies on establishing Trump's intent and knowledge, while the defense may argue Cohen and others acted without Trump's consent. The trial's outcome could hinge on the jury's perception of the evidence and Trump's involvement.
Takeaways
- 📅 Michael Cohen recalls being in London for his daughter's 21st birthday and anniversary on October 7th, 2016, the day the Access Hollywood tape was released.
- 📞 Cohen received a call from Hope Hicks, the communication director for the Trump campaign, informing him about the tape, and also an email from Steve Bannon regarding its potential release.
- 🔗 The email exchange between Cohen, Bannon, and others was about crafting a response to the impending story about Trump's alleged infidelities and the cover-up, showing Cohen as an integral part of the campaign's strategy.
- 🎥 Hope Hicks forwarded an email from David Farenthold of The Washington Post to Cohen, seeking comment on the tape leak, indicating a coordinated effort to manage the narrative.
- 🤔 Cohen testified that Trump wanted to spin the Access Hollywood tape as 'locker room talk,' a phrase he claimed Melania Trump suggested, to minimize its impact on the campaign.
- 💬 Cohen's testimony highlights the active role he played in the Trump campaign's response to allegations and scandals, contradicting any notion of him being a 'rogue employee'.
- 💸 Cohen also discussed the hush money payment to Stormy Daniels, stating that Trump personally approved and directed it to protect his campaign, not his family.
- 🗣️ Trump's defense may face challenges countering Cohen's detailed account of events, given his history as Trump's 'fixer' and the evidence presented in court.
- 📈 The trial's impact on public opinion is yet to be fully understood, but it has not significantly changed views of the candidates thus far according to some polling data.
- 🎉 Outside the court, Trump's trial has become a spectacle with Republican politicians showing support, possibly seeking favor for future political ambitions.
Q & A
What significant event occurred on October 7th, 2016, as mentioned in the trial?
-The release of the Access Hollywood tape, which featured then-presidential candidate Donald Trump making inappropriate comments, occurred on October 7th, 2016.
Who were Hope Hicks and Steve Bannon at the time of the Access Hollywood tape release?
-Hope Hicks was the Communications Director for the Trump campaign, and Steve Bannon was the Campaign Manager for the Trump campaign.
What role did Michael Cohen play in relation to the Access Hollywood tape?
-Michael Cohen received a phone call from Hope Hicks about the tape and was also involved in discussions regarding the strategy to deal with the tape's impact on the campaign.
What was the strategy decided upon to handle the Access Hollywood tape situation?
-The strategy was to spin the tape as 'locker room talk,' a phrase that was suggested by Melania Trump, according to Michael Cohen's testimony.
Who was David Farenthold and what was his involvement in the trial?
-David Farenthold was a reporter from The Washington Post who sent an urgent query to Hope Hicks regarding the Access Hollywood tape leak.
What was the purpose of the email exchange between Hope Hicks and Michael Cohen?
-The email exchange was regarding the potential release of the Access Hollywood tape and how to respond to media inquiries about it.
What does the testimony of Michael Cohen suggest about his role in the Trump campaign?
-Michael Cohen's testimony suggests that he was not a rogue employee but was closely involved with the Trump campaign, participating in key decisions and strategies, including those related to the Access Hollywood tape.
What was the significance of the testimony about Melania Trump's response to the Access Hollywood tape?
-The testimony indicates that Melania Trump was portrayed as a team player in the cover-up, which could undermine any defense strategy that relies on her being unaware or uninvolved in the campaign's response to the tape.
What was the context of the recording made by Michael Cohen involving Donald Trump?
-The recording was made during a conversation about how to structure the payment to reimburse American Media for the money they had advanced to Karen McDougall, to ensure that the story about her alleged affair with Trump would not be published.
What was the prosecution's strategy in having Michael Cohen as a witness?
-The prosecution's strategy was to use Michael Cohen as a key witness to provide a detailed account of the alleged criminal activities, including the payment to Stormy Daniels and the handling of the Access Hollywood tape, situating Trump at the center of these activities.
What is the potential impact of the tapes and testimonies on the jury's perception of Donald Trump?
-The tapes and testimonies could potentially influence the jury's perception of Donald Trump by presenting him as being directly involved in the alleged criminal activities and cover-ups, which could be crucial in establishing intent and consciousness of guilt.
Outlines
📅 Trump's Response to the Access Hollywood Tape
In this paragraph, Michael Cohen, former personal lawyer to Donald Trump, recounts his recollection of the events surrounding the release of the Access Hollywood tape in October 2016. Cohen was in London for his daughter's birthday and his anniversary when he received a call from Hope Hicks, then the communication director for the Trump campaign, informing him of the tape's release. He also received an email from Steve Bannon, the campaign manager at the time, discussing the tape. The email exchange involved discussing a strategy to manage the fallout from the tape, with Hicks forwarding an urgent email from the Washington Post seeking comment on the tape. Cohen mentions a phone call with Trump, where the strategy to label the tape's content as 'locker room talk' was decided upon, a phrase allegedly suggested by Melania Trump. This paragraph highlights the coordinated response within the Trump campaign to mitigate the impact of the tape on the election.
🤝 Michael Cohen's Role in Trump's Legal Strategy
This paragraph delves into Michael Cohen's involvement in formulating and executing legal strategies for Donald Trump, particularly in response to allegations of infidelity. It discusses Cohen's role in crafting public statements and managing media narratives, as evidenced by email exchanges with Hope Hicks. The paragraph also touches on the public's perception of Cohen and the reality of his deep integration into Trump's team, contradicting any notion of him being a 'rogue employee'. It highlights the proactive measures taken by the Trump campaign, with Cohen at the helm, to counter allegations and control the narrative, especially in relation to women's allegations against Trump.
🎤 The Political Theater of Trump's Criminal Trial
In this paragraph, the focus shifts to the political implications of Trump's criminal trial. It discusses the presence of Republican politicians, including senators and attorneys general, who are publicly supporting Trump during his trial. The narrative suggests that this support is part of a broader political strategy, with these politicians angling for positions in a potential second Trump administration. The paragraph also contrasts Trump's claims that the trial is preventing him from campaigning with the reality that he is not actively campaigning on his non-trial days. It critiques the behavior of these politicians as 'craven' and 'embarrassing', highlighting the spectacle of the trial and its impact on the Republican party's image.
🏛 The Contrasting Campaigns of Trump and Biden
This paragraph contrasts the political strategies of Donald Trump and Joe Biden during the presidential campaign. It points out that while Trump is making his criminal trial a central part of his campaign narrative, Biden is focusing on promoting his administration's accomplishments and how they benefit the public. The paragraph also notes that Biden is actively campaigning in swing states, unlike Trump who is often at his club in Florida or at home. The discussion suggests that the two candidates are operating on 'wildly different planets', reflecting the stark contrast in their approaches to the election.
🎥 Michael Cohen's Testimony on Trump's Alleged Misdeeds
In this paragraph, the discussion centers on Michael Cohen's testimony regarding his interactions with Donald Trump, particularly concerning Stormy Daniels. Cohen details a 2011 conversation with Trump about Daniels, an adult film star, and the efforts to suppress a story about their alleged encounter. The paragraph also touches on Cohen's role in managing negative information about Trump and the implications of these actions for the prosecution's case. It highlights the evidence presented in court, including a recording of Cohen and Trump discussing payments, which could be crucial in establishing Trump's involvement in the alleged criminal activity.
💼 Trump's Involvement in Hush Money Payments
The paragraph focuses on the details of the hush money payments allegedly orchestrated by Donald Trump, with Michael Cohen's testimony providing a timeline and context for these transactions. It discusses the payments to Stormy Daniels and the involvement of American Media, Inc. (AMI), which advanced money to Karen McDougal. The paragraph reveals a recording where Trump and Cohen discuss making payments in cash to avoid a paper trail, underscoring Trump's alleged desire to keep the transactions secret. This evidence is crucial for the prosecution's case, as it implicates Trump directly in the scheme to suppress negative information during his presidential campaign.
🗳️ The Legal and Political Implications of Trump's Actions
This paragraph explores the legal and political ramifications of the actions described in the trial. It discusses the potential strategies of Trump's defense, including the possibility of pleading guilty to a lesser offense to avoid more severe charges. The paragraph also considers the impact of the trial on public perception and the political calculations of those involved. It highlights the complexity of the case and the challenges faced by the prosecution in proving intent and establishing a clear narrative of guilt.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Donald Trump
💡Michael Cohen
💡Hush Money
💡Stormy Daniels
💡Karen McDougall
💡David Pecker
💡Falsification of Business Records
💡Prosecution
💡Cross-Examination
💡Campaign Finance
💡Testimony
Highlights
Michael Cohen testified that Donald Trump personally approved and directed the hush money payment to Stormy Daniels to protect his presidential campaign.
Cohen recalled being in London for his daughter's 21st birthday and anniversary when the Access Hollywood tape was released.
Hope Hicks, the communication director for the Trump campaign, informed Cohen about the release of the Access Hollywood tape.
Steve Bannon, the campaign manager at the time, also sent an email to Cohen regarding the potential release of the tape.
David Farenthold from the Washington Post sent an urgent query to Hope Hicks for comment on the tape leak, which Hicks forwarded to the campaign team.
Cohen stated that Trump wanted to spin the Access Hollywood tape as 'locker room talk', a phrase he claimed Melania Trump used.
An email exchange between Hope Hicks and Michael Cohen showed Hicks trying out different types of denials for a story about alleged infidelities.
Cohen was a key part of the team's response to allegations from women and was consulted at the highest levels for the response strategy.
Melania Trump's role and her contribution to the defense strategy were highlighted, showing her as a team player in the cover-up.
The prosecution presented a case that Michael Cohen was not a rogue employee but an integral part of Trump's team, especially in matters of alleged infidelity.
Cohen's testimony and the evidence introduced show that he was part of a coordinated effort to respond to the Access Hollywood tape and other allegations.
The trial revealed that Trump's defense might rely on the narrative that the hush money was paid to protect Melania, not to influence the campaign.
Cohen's account of his involvement in the scheme to suppress negative information about Trump provides a detailed timeline and corroborating evidence.
The prosecution's case is building a picture of Trump as the central figure in a coordinated effort to violate campaign finance laws.
A recording of Cohen and Trump discussing the reimbursement of American Media for the payment to Karen McDougall was played during the trial.
Trump's desire to make the payment in cash suggests an intent to keep the transaction untraceable and hidden.
Cohen's testimony implicates Trump as having knowledge and involvement in the alleged falsification of business records.
Transcripts
welcome back to our Prime Time recap of
the criminal trial of former president
Donald Trump prosecutor I would like to
direct your attention now to October 7th
2016 do you remember where you were that
day Michael Cohen yes question where
were you answer I was in London question
how do you remember that you were in
London answer well I went to London for
my daughter's 21st birthday as well as
for my anniversary and while you were in
London did you become aware of the
release of what's known as the access
Hollywood tape answer yes
and how did you become aware of that
tape coming out or that it had come out
answer I received a phone call who did
you receive a phone call from answer
from Hope Hicks who was hope Hicks at
the time hope Hicks was communication
director for the Trump campaign do you
also recall receiving at around that
time an email from Steve Bannon about
the potential release of the Access
Hollywood tape answer yes and who was
Steve Bannon at the time campaign
manager for the Trump campaign question
do you recognize this email answer I do
it's an email between me and Steve
Bannon as well as hope pix Jason Miller
kellyanne Conway David bossy does it
relate to the release of the Access
Hollywood tape it does and can you tell
the jury what you understand this bottom
email to be answer yes this is an email
from David farenthold of the Washington
Post and it's to Hope Hicks with the
subject matter of urgent Washington Post
query question and just in general what
is he communicating to Hope Hicks and
what is he asking her for answer he's
asking her for comment in regard to the
the leak of the tape from Access
Hollywood question and is there a
transcript of the Access Hollywood tape
attached to the email from David fenold
to hopix answer there is question and
does hopix then forward that email to
some other folks answer she does what
does hopix say in that email that she
forwards on to those folks involved in
the campaign answer need to hear the
tape to be sure Then followed by deny
deny
deny question and is that does does that
get forwarded now as we scroll down does
that get forwarded by Mr Bannon onto you
answer yes ma'am question and while you
were in London did you have several
calls with hope hick about this matter
the exess Hollywood tape answer I did at
one point did Mr Trump join a call with
yourself and hope pick answer yes on
that day on October 8th Answer yes
question and did you also have another
separate call with Mr Trump on October
8th 2016 answer yes question do you have
a separate memory of where you were and
what you were doing when you had these
phone calls with him answer yes what
were you doing answer I was in my I was
with my family and friends in London
question were you having dinner answer I
was did you step out to take these calls
I did and what if any discussion do you
remember with Mr Trump about the tape
and the strategy for dealing with it
answer he wanted me to reach out to all
of my contacts with the media we needed
to put a spin on this and the spin that
he wanted to put on
it was that this is Locker room talk
something that Melania had
recommended or at least he told me that
that's what Melania had thought it was
and use that in order to get control
over the story and to minimize its
impact on him and the campaign question
and what if anything did you do at that
point to try to assist the campaign with
that effort answer I reached out to
members of the
media he told her that uh excuse me he
told Mr Cohen that the locker room talk
defense which became the defense that
spin about what the Access Hollywood
tape was all about Michael Cohen says
that Trump told him it was his wife's
idea that it was Melania Trump's phrase
locker room
talk the other thing that's important
about this exchange besides that bizarre
assertion is that it shows that Michael
Cohen was not a rogue employee he was
not a solo operator especially on issues
like as Nicole points out that things
that related to alleged infidelity
Michael Cohen was on the team he was
part of if not leading the whole team
response that was also made clear in
this exhibit this printed exhibit that
was filed for the first time in court
today this is right before the election
the election was November 8th this was
November 4th and this email exchange
between hope Hicks and Michael Cohen
shows Hicks trying out different types
of denials that she wants to issue
potentially to the Wall Street Journal
about the story they're about to run
about these alleged infidelities and the
cover up of them she's running these
proposed denials by Michael Cohen Cohen
responds with his own he says quote
instead say this these accusations are
completely untrue and just the latest
despicable attempt by the liberal media
and the Clinton machine to blah blah
blah blah blah blah
blah prosecutors throughout this trial
have not just allowed they have
basically invited testimony from earlier
Witness including from hopix um in
invited these witnesses to disparage or
say how much they didn't like or didn't
respect Michael
Cohen but then today they showed the
receipts of him not operating alone of
him being totally part of Team Trump
responding to allegations about Trump
being consulted at the highest levels
about what the response should be
specifically he was a key part of the
whole team's response when it came to
allegations from women
how does that part of his testimony
today and this evidence introduced today
uh help the prosecution I'm endlessly
intrigued by the Sinister role hopix
played behind the scenes because other
than Bill bar there's no one whose
reputation has been more successfully
laundered sort of before during after
the Trump years than than hopix hopix
gets a transcript of Access Hollywood
she's in the room where Trump is saying
is that Trump he's talking about himself
in the third person I understand and her
she sends the TR of course we're going
to deny deny deny the first thing she
writes when Wall Street Journal calls
with McDougall is deny deny deny and if
you read her draft responses they are
more bombastic more partisan and more
nasty than anything Cohen edits her down
I mean h hopix is sort of the the
surprise and it shouldn't be a surprise
but a really sharp elbowed sort of paid
liar for Donald Trump and Coen is a
moderating force on the public
statements of The Campaign which is
stunning the melan thing I had heard at
the time and Milani actually goes out
and does an interview where she says
that and I think she says it in an
interview I can't remember if it's in
his hostage statement that night
remember he puts out a hostage I can't I
can't remember if he uses it but she
does an interview they somehow I I don't
know how but they get her to do an
interview and she uses that line in an
interview that she does I think it's
maybe after the debate so it's maybe
four days after the tape is dropped but
that is their their line and I mean
tragically because the other stories
stay silent
you know in their minds they think it
does work Lawrence so you know the
Melania question uh is is kind of
important on on this point uh because
Melania will through the questioning of
the defense that they will try to use
her as a reason Donald Trump wanted
these things to not come out uh but what
you're seeing there is Melania Trump in
this in this testimony is going to be
uncontested let's remember Donald Trump
is not going to take the witness stand
and say Melania didn't say that Milani
is not going to take the witness stand
and say she didn't say that so it will
be uncontested in the record and this is
Melania Trump after seeing what Donald
how Donald Trump brags about his
favorite method of sexual assault this
is worse than what you're learning about
Stormy Daniels this is worse than what
you're learning about Susan McDougall
and this portrays Melania as a team
player in the coverup let's get our guy
through it which means
why would you ever worry about Melania
when the stormy Daniel story comes along
yeah which matters right if the defense
is going to count on putting in a mind
of a single juror a counternarrative
that makes this whole hush money and and
and falsification of business records
scheme something that is innocent
because it wasn't Criminal is just
designed to protect Melania just
designed to protect the family rather
than to influence the campaign I mean if
that's what they're going to try to do
it seems very hard to do that now given
the testimony about Mrs Trump's own
contributions to this defense and to
what he what Trump explained about how
he didn't care about whether she knew so
just a second on here's how a defense
would do that they'd put Melania they
put the wife on the witness stand she'd
be in tears saying this crushed me this
was devastating when I learned this
Stormy Daniels news it was the most
horrible day of my life that's the way a
defense would actually get that into a
case like this or she'd be there she'd
be sitting behind him every day of the
trial showing her support even if she
doesn't take the stand but her absence
screams volumes of a lack of a belief in
Donald Trump our Prime Time recap of the
only criminal trial in history of an
American president uh continues right
after the break we got much more to come
stay with
us welcome back to our MSNBC Prime Time
recap of the criminal trial of former
president Donald Trump I'm here with my
colleagues Ari melber and Katie Fang and
Chris Hayes from MSNBC along with
Suzanne Craig from The New York Times
good to have you all here uh today the
prosecution called its 20th and likely
its Final witness Trump's longtime
lawyer and quote unquote fixer Michael
Cohen Michael Cohen today told the jury
that Trump personally approved and
directed The Hush money payment to an
adult fil film actress and director in
2016 including the false pretense of
structuring the payment as if it was um
a set of legal fees when it wasn't Cohen
testified today that Trump did this
explicitly to protect his presidential
campaign from the damage her story would
cause that it was not paid to protect
his family or his wife from any
embarrassment this Blockbuster testimony
defined the official court action inside
the court the direct examination of
Cohen will continue tomorrow the
cross-examination will then begin
thereafter and we expect lots of
fireworks at that point point but today
outside the court Trump made his own bid
for attention with the help from some of
his friends do we call them friends
possible running mates political allies
I don't know as he always does on his
way into court this morning the former
president himself stopped in front of
cameras to spend a few minutes
denouncing the trial uh but if you look
over his right shoulder there are those
familiar faces yes they are in front of
Donald Trump's adult son Eric he's the
blonde one he's standing in the back
there uh there are two Republican United
States senators J D Vance of Ohio and
Tommy tupperville of Alabama those two
senators came along with a republican
congresswoman from Staten Island and two
Republican State Attorneys General one
from Alabama one from I think
Iowa um to to keep Donald Trump
company this is becoming kind of a thing
in Republican politics to make a
pilgrimage to Trump's trial last week it
was Republican senator Rick Scott he's
up for reelection this year in Trump's
adopted hom State of Florida NBC News
has confirmed that former Republican
presidential candidate Vic ramaswami
will join Trump in court
tomorrow okay and the Craven desperate
politics of all this is embarrassing to
everybody who's watching it I mean many
of these folks are obviously hoping for
gigs and what they hope will be a second
Trump Administration JD Vance in
particular is desperate to be considered
for Trump's vice president but when
Senator Vance and Senator tupperville
left the courtroom today after a couple
of hours and headed for the cameras
themselves they made sure to tell
everybody that they were only there to
support their dear dear friend in
need I'm here for the simple reason to
show support for a friend luckily the
president's supporters should know that
he's actually in great spirits despite
the circumstances of this I'm here today
to represent and to pay my respects to
what president Trump is going
through it's a tough time for him that
courtroom is depressing this is New York
City icon of our country and we got a
courtroom that's the most depressing
thing I've ever been in mental anguish
is trying to be pushed on the Republican
candidate for the president of United
States this year that's all this is
Republican candidate for president of
United States is going through mental
anguish in a courtroom that's very
depressing very
depressing there is a little known
Constitutional Amendment which requires
a playful mobile to be put above
criminal defendants in courtrooms that
are particularly depressing it's like a
subset of the
ath at one point Senator Vance voiced
his concern that Donald Trump was being
made to feel quote
lonely because he isn't seeing crowds of
supporters every day outside the
courthouse that's because they're not
there but uh the Senators and the rest
of the gagle of Republican officials who
were at the courthouse today they all
echoed one of Trump's most common
complaints about his trial which is that
it's keeping him off the campaign
Trail he should be out on the campaign
Trail uh but of course he's here with
this trial our president Trump is tied
up in court when he should be out on the
campaign Trail this is simply an effort
to keep Donald Trump in New York city so
he can't go out and speak to the people
of this country about why he should be
re elected this President I should be
out campaigning now instead of sitting
in a very cold Courthouse all day long
it's not that cold um Donald Trump
should be out campaigning he should be
out barnstorming the swing States that's
what of course he would be doing if he
were not trapped at this trial that's
the line right here's the problem it is
true that Trump is required to be in
court when it is in session he is after
all a criminal defendant but that's only
maximum 4 days a week sometimes it's
only three days a week and on those
other days when Court isn't in session
the former president is mostly not
campaigning most of his non-trial days
he's been hanging out at his Club in
Florida or staying home in New York or
New Jersey as his his right but it
remains this strange and easily
disprovable thing that Trump and his
allies and quote friends are constantly
saying that he would be out campaigning
if he weren't in court that is easily
disproven by the observable fact that
when he is not in court he is mostly not
doing
that to be fair he did have one big
rally this weekend in New Jersey that is
a state that has not voted for a
republican for president since 1988 but
hey Hope Springs Eternal it does have
the advantage of being a quick quick hop
skip and a jump from from Trump's New
York apartment so maybe that was the
reason he did it but meanwhile President