Did Michael Cohen Get Caught LYING on Stand, Ruining Entire Case Against Trump? With Dan Bongino

Megyn Kelly
17 May 202412:24

Summary

TLDRThe video script discusses Michael Cohen's testimony during the Trump trial in New York, focusing on the credibility and likability issues surrounding him. Cohen's actions, such as paying for positive polls and creating fake social media accounts to boost his image, are highlighted. The defense attorney's strategy to undermine Cohen's testimony by pointing out inconsistencies, like the timing of his phone calls and his admission to secretly recording Trump, is detailed. The script also delves into the broader implications of Cohen's behavior for the case, emphasizing how likability can influence jury decisions and the importance of trust in attorney-client relationships.

Takeaways

  • 📢 Michael Cohen, a witness in the Trump trial, is accused of using a $50,000 payment to a group called Red Finch for promoting his image as attractive, similar to actor Andy Garcia, rather than for polling data on Donald Trump.
  • 🗣️ Trump's defense attorney focused on undermining Cohen's credibility, highlighting an instance where Cohen claimed to have discussed the Stormy Daniels payment with Trump, which the defense disputed based on phone records.
  • 🕰️ Phone records were used to challenge Cohen's claim that he spoke with Trump about the Stormy Daniels payment, suggesting instead that the brief call was about harassing phone calls from a 14-year-old.
  • 🤔 The defense attorney questioned the ethics of Cohen taping his client, Trump, without consent, which Cohen justified under the crime-fraud exception to attorney-client privilege.
  • 🎭 The script suggests that likability plays a significant role in court cases, and Cohen's actions and demeanor may have negatively impacted his credibility and likability in the eyes of the jury.
  • 📞 The script implies that Cohen's handling of the harassing phone calls from a 14-year-old boy and his subsequent actions to involve the Secret Service were seen as questionable and indicative of his character.
  • 🎥 Cohen's own podcast was used against him, where he contradicted his testimony by admitting to meeting with the prosecutor, Alvin Bragg, which the defense used to further discredit him.
  • 🚫 The script discusses the legal and ethical implications of attorneys recording their clients, suggesting that such actions are viewed unfavorably and are illegal in some states.
  • 🏛️ The trial's focus on Cohen's character and actions, rather than strictly on the legal merits of the case, highlights the subjective nature of the judicial process and the importance of a witness's credibility.
  • 📈 The script also touches on the broader implications of the trial, suggesting that the outcome may hinge on which party the jury dislikes less: Donald Trump or Michael Cohen.
  • 📢 The AMAC (Association of Mature American Citizens) is promoted as an organization that unites patriots to preserve American values and oppose the leftist agenda, offering membership benefits and a platform to amplify voices.

Q & A

  • What was the purpose of the $50,000 payment made by Michael Cohen to the group Red Finch?

    -The payment was intended to secure good polling for Donald Trump, but Cohen actually wanted to create a fake online presence with women expressing adoration for him, comparing his looks to that of the actor Andy Garcia.

  • What was the significance of the phone call between Michael Cohen and Donald Trump's bodyguard, Keith Schiller, after the payment to Stormy Daniels?

    -Cohen claimed that he called Schiller to speak with Trump and informed him about the payment to Stormy Daniels, which Trump denies knowing about. This call is crucial as it relates to whether Trump was aware of and directed the payment.

  • What incident involving a 14-year-old boy did Michael Cohen discuss during his testimony?

    -Cohen discussed an incident where he received harassing phone calls and discovered that they were coming from a 14-year-old boy. This led to Cohen threatening to involve the Secret Service, causing the boy to reveal his age and beg for leniency.

  • How did Trump's defense attorney, Todd Blanche, challenge Cohen's claim about the phone call with Trump regarding Stormy Daniels?

    -Blanche used phone and text message records to show that Cohen had contacted Schiller shortly after dealing with the 14-year-old harasser, suggesting that the call was more likely about the harassment issue rather than the Stormy Daniels payment.

  • What was the duration of the phone call between Michael Cohen and Keith Schiller on October 24, 2016, and what was Blanche's argument regarding its content?

    -The call lasted 1 minute and 36 seconds. Blanche argued that it was unlikely Cohen could have discussed both the harassment issue and the Stormy Daniels payment in such a short call, suggesting Cohen was lying about the content of the call.

  • Why did Cohen claim that recording his client, Donald Trump, was permissible?

    -Cohen claimed that recording a client is permitted under the crime-fraud exception to the attorney-client privilege rules, which allows recording if the conversation involves planning a crime.

  • What ethical issue was raised regarding Cohen's actions as a lawyer in the script?

    -The ethical issue raised was Cohen's decision to secretly record his client, which is generally considered unethical and is illegal in some states without the consent of all parties involved.

  • How did the script describe the impact of Cohen's actions on his likability and credibility in the court?

    -The script described Cohen's actions as damaging to his likability and credibility, particularly his decision to secretly record his client and the unrelated incident with the 14-year-old, which made him appear unlikable and less credible.

  • What was the context of the recording between Cohen and Trump discussing the payoff to another woman, Karen McDougal?

    -The recording was made in the context of discussing a hush money payment to Karen McDougal, who was planning to write stories about fitness for American Media Inc. in exchange for not disclosing her alleged affair with Trump.

  • What is the importance of likability in a court case, as discussed in the script?

    -Likability is critical in a court case because it can influence the jury's perception of the parties involved. The script suggests that the jury is not just assessing the facts but also deciding who they dislike less between the two parties.

Outlines

00:00

🕵️‍♂️ Michael Cohen's Testimony and Trump's Defense Strategy

The first paragraph discusses Michael Cohen's role as a key witness in the Trump trial in New York. It highlights Cohen's claim that he informed Trump about the payment to Stormy Daniels, which Trump denies. The defense attorney, Todd Blanche, challenges Cohen's credibility by pointing out inconsistencies in his statements, such as Cohen's knowledge of a 14-year-old behind harassing phone calls and the timing of his phone call with Trump's bodyguard, Keith Schiller. The paragraph also touches on Cohen's attempt to gain a favorable image by comparing himself to actor Andy Garcia, which is criticized as a sign of narcissism. The defense's strategy is to discredit Cohen's testimony, suggesting that his claims about discussing the Daniels payment with Trump are false.

05:01

🤔 Assessing Michael Cohen's Credibility and Impact on the Jury

The second paragraph delves into the implications of Cohen's testimony and the defense's efforts to undermine his credibility. It mentions Cohen's admission of being a convicted perjurer and the defense's highlighting of his unethical behavior, such as secretly recording his client, Trump. The paragraph also discusses the importance of likability in court, suggesting that Cohen's actions and demeanor may negatively affect the jury's perception of him. The defense's strategy includes playing audio recordings to show Cohen contradicting himself, which could create reasonable doubt in the minds of the jurors. The paragraph concludes by emphasizing the significance of likability in determining the outcome of the trial.

10:02

🗳️ AMAC Membership and the Importance of Civic Engagement

The third paragraph shifts focus from the trial to a promotional message about the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC). It encourages viewers to join AMAC to strengthen their voice in the political landscape and oppose the leftist agenda. The benefits of AMAC membership include access to a magazine, social security and Medicare guidance, discounts, and more. The paragraph also mentions an election year sale, offering a four-year membership for $30, and invites viewers to join the over 2 million members to make their voices heard.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Michael Cohen

Michael Cohen is a central figure in the video, a former attorney for Donald Trump who has become a witness in a trial involving Trump. His actions and credibility are heavily scrutinized in the video, particularly regarding his involvement in the payment to Stormy Daniels and his subsequent testimony.

💡Stormy Daniels

Stormy Daniels is an adult film actress who was allegedly paid to keep quiet about an affair with Donald Trump. The payment to Daniels is a significant part of the narrative in the video, as it pertains to discussions between Cohen and Trump and is a point of contention in the trial.

💡Keith Schiller

Keith Schiller is mentioned as Donald Trump's bodyguard. The video discusses a phone call that Cohen made to Schiller, which Cohen claims was to inform Trump about the payment to Stormy Daniels, a claim that is disputed in the trial.

💡Trump's defense attorney

The defense attorney for Trump is portrayed as effectively challenging Cohen's credibility during the trial. The attorney, Todd Blanche, is highlighted for his cross-examination of Cohen, particularly concerning the phone call with Schiller and the recording of Trump.

💡Credibility

Credibility is a major theme in the video, as it pertains to Michael Cohen's testimony and his character. The defense attorney aims to undermine Cohen's credibility by pointing out inconsistencies in his statements and actions, such as recording his client and the incident with the 14-year-old harasser.

💡Harassing phone calls

The video recounts an incident where Cohen received harassing phone calls from a 14-year-old, which he intended to report to the Secret Service. This incident is used to illustrate Cohen's character and the lengths he would go to solve personal problems.

💡Likeability

Likeability is discussed as a critical factor in the trial's outcome. The video suggests that jurors may be swayed by their perception of the personalities involved, particularly the unlikability of Cohen, which could impact their judgment of the case.

💡Recording a client

The act of recording a client is a significant ethical issue raised in the video. Cohen's admission that he recorded Trump without his knowledge is portrayed as a breach of attorney-client privilege and is used by the defense to question his ethics and trustworthiness.

💡Fake women

The video mentions a scheme where Cohen allegedly paid to create fake social media profiles of women who would praise him, aiming to boost his image. This is used to illustrate Cohen's character and the lengths he would go to for personal promotion.

💡AMAC (Association of Mature American Citizens)

AMAC is mentioned at the end of the video as an organization that viewers are encouraged to join. It is described as a group that unites like-minded individuals committed to preserving American values and opposing the leftist agenda, aiming to elevate the voices of its members.

💡Eviscerating credibility

The phrase 'eviscerating credibility' is used in the video to describe the defense attorney's strategy of dismantling Cohen's reputation and trustworthiness in court. This is achieved through highlighting inconsistencies and questionable actions in Cohen's past behavior.

Highlights

Michael Cohen paid $50,000 to Red Finch for positive polling on Donald Trump, but also sought fake women to praise him online.

Trump's defense attorney focused on undermining Michael Cohen's credibility during the trial.

Cohen claimed he informed Trump about the payment to Stormy Daniels, which Trump denies.

Phone records indicate Cohen was discussing a different matter with Trump's bodyguard, not the Daniels deal.

Cohen's claim of informing Trump about the payment was labeled a lie by Trump's lawyer.

Cohen's attempt to promote himself by looking like actor Andy Garcia is criticized as narcissistic.

Cohen's credibility questioned due to his history as a convicted perjurer.

The importance of likability in court and how it can influence a jury's decision.

Cohen contradicted himself on the stand, damaging his credibility.

Cohen's surreptitious recording of his client, Trump, is highlighted as unethical.

The legal and ethical implications of a lawyer recording a conversation with their client.

Cohen's actions are unfavorably compared to legal standards in Florida and Maryland.

The trial's focus on likability rather than just the facts of the case.

Cohen's unlikability and its potential impact on the jury's perception.

The significance of the tape recording in the context of the attorney-client privilege.

Cohen's admission of recording his client to play for a third party.

The trial's emphasis on the character and likability of the witnesses involved.

The potential impact of the AMAC membership and its role in elevating voices during elections.

Transcripts

00:00

okay let's switch to Michael Cohen star

00:02

witness of this Trump trial in New York

00:05

and late th star's doing a lot of work

00:08

in that sense a lot a lot of work

00:11

although it came out we talked about

00:12

this on the show yesterday it came out

00:13

that in that $50,000 he paid to this

00:16

group red finch to get some good polling

00:18

for Donald Trump what he really wanted

00:20

was a hash women for Michael Cohen

00:24

website and Twitter account and it they

00:27

kept putting out how hot he was and how

00:29

he looked just like some who was the

00:31

famous actor oh I can't remember he's a

00:34

pathetic man that's what he wanted a

00:36

fake women espousing their Adoration of

00:39

him Andy Garcia that's who it was okay

00:41

um here's what happened late Thursday

00:44

Trump's defense attorney really zeroed

00:46

in on what was kind of the kill I mean

00:48

it wasn't on a point that well it was on

00:50

a point that mattered but it wasn't

00:52

really a jugular moment at as as you saw

00:54

the on-ramp but the offramp the defense

00:58

player did have Michael Cohen's Jud in

01:00

his hand and even Anderson Cooper saw it

01:03

and talked about it so it was a great

01:04

moment for team Trump here's what

01:06

happened Michael Cohen had said that he

01:10

called Donald

01:12

Trump's uh bodyguard and he asked to

01:16

speak to Trump and he did after he made

01:19

the the payment to Stormy Daniels and

01:21

then he told Trump all about it remember

01:24

Trump is denying that he knew about this

01:25

he says this is a Michael Cohen

01:27

operation and he says no that's a lie I

01:29

told Trump Trump about it I called his

01:30

bodyguard Keith Schiller and he put me

01:32

on the phone with Trump and it happened

01:33

in October before the election it

01:35

happened so the lawyer for Trump gets up

01:38

there and he sets the stage by saying

01:41

you had a series of harassing phone

01:42

calls at her about this same time right

01:45

yes I did and it turned out that you

01:47

found out who was behind it it was a

01:48

14-year-old boy because he had forgotten

01:50

to block the number on at least one of

01:52

the calls right right and you threatened

01:55

that you were going to go to the Secret

01:56

Service about him and he begged you not

01:58

to saying I'm a 14-year-old boy and you

02:00

said you better Loop your parents in

02:02

ASAP correct correct it was within

02:05

moments of that that Cohen called

02:10

Trump's

02:11

bodyguard um and spoke with him for a

02:15

matter of minutes it was just after 8 on

02:17

October 24th

02:19

2016 he said Cohen did this is a way of

02:22

getting a hold of trump because he knew

02:23

that Keith Schiller The Bodyguard would

02:25

be with Trump and um blanch Trump's

02:28

lawyer cited text message record showing

02:30

Cohen messaged The Bodyguard at 7:48

02:33

p.m. about the harassing caller okay

02:38

this is a big phone call we're supposed

02:39

to be telling Trump stormmy perer we're

02:41

good instead he shows 7:48 p.m. that day

02:45

Cohen texted The Bodyguard about the his

02:49

own problem his 14-year-old

02:53

Tormentor okay um he says Coen text

02:57

Schiller who can I speak to about

02:58

harassing calls to myself in office

03:00

blanch then cited phone records showing

03:03

Schiller calling Cohen and leaving a

03:05

voicemail at 8:01 p.m. following text

03:07

message stating call me at 8:02 p.m.

03:09

colen then called Schiller's number the

03:11

conversation lasted 1 minute and 36

03:15

seconds show the phone records Todd Blan

03:18

said Cohen's claim that he was talking

03:20

to Trump in that 1 minute and 36 seconds

03:23

about the Daniels deal quote was a lie

03:27

because you were actually talking to Mr

03:28

Schiller about getting harassing phone

03:30

calls from a 14-year-old Cohen this is

03:33

amazing

03:34

dan part of it was about the phone calls

03:38

but I knew that Keith was with Mr Trump

03:40

at the time and it was more than

03:43

potentially just this potentially it was

03:47

more than potentially just this I'm

03:49

almost done uh blanch his voice growing

03:53

louder was incredulous this is um from

03:56

the Associated Press was incredulous you

03:59

had enough time in that 1 minute and 36

04:01

seconds to update Mr Schiller about all

04:03

the problems you were having with this

04:04

harassing phone call and also update

04:06

president Trump on the status of the

04:08

stormy Daniel situation Cohen responded

04:11

that that was my belief based on the

04:14

records he was able to review that had

04:17

said he said had refreshed his memory

04:19

the answer was quote

04:21

yes I believe I was telling the

04:25

truth yeah which is a very lawyerly

04:28

answer

04:30

I believe I I believe I was you and I

04:32

have been immersed in the legal system I

04:34

am not an attorney however you know 15

04:37

years in my life spent around criminals

04:39

and lawyers and courtrooms federal and

04:41

city and state I'm not new to this let

04:45

me just say first so by the way Michael

04:46

Cohen uh trying to uh get people to

04:49

promote him looking like Andy Garcia

04:51

like I look like Carrie Grant if he

04:53

looks like Andy Garcia like that's like

04:55

the dumbest thing I've can you imagine

04:57

paying people to I mean you look at him

04:59

like Andy Garcia Andy Garcia is an

05:01

actually good-looking guy Michael Cohen

05:03

is not I say that that's objectively who

05:06

else maybe Chaz paler I don't know if

05:08

you really wanted to stretch but Chaz

05:10

not that long ago he's a damn

05:12

good-looking guy he's a great that

05:14

restaurant Chaz is in Manhattan is

05:16

incredible and let me tell you something

05:17

he don't look anything like Michael

05:19

Cohen but is this guy right is this guy

05:22

the most unlikable witness you've ever

05:25

seen that whole exchange with the

05:27

14-year-old I took interest in because

05:30

why he thinks the Secret Service would

05:32

help him when he's not a protecte um was

05:34

just bizarre I mean we talk about a

05:35

narcissist but second it as you know

05:38

from reading through most of the case

05:40

this was just one of about five or diff

05:43

different five or six different episodes

05:45

that Todd blanch just eviscerated this

05:47

guy's credibility on I mean Megan in

05:50

court one of the worst things that can

05:51

happen to you is see you be for you to

05:53

have to debate yourself when you're

05:55

contradicted by your own voice video or

05:58

audio you'll just watch the jurors

06:00

they're typically like damn that was

06:02

good so at one point Cohen says

06:04

something really simple I never met

06:06

Alvin brag you know the the prosecutor

06:08

of course that that's not a hard thing

06:10

you either met him or you didn't it's

06:11

not a marginal case you didn't kind of

06:13

meet him and then they play Michael

06:15

Cohen's own podcast where he's like I

06:17

sat for hours with Alvin brg if you're

06:19

sitting there as a jurist I'm talking

06:21

about an I don't I can't get in their

06:22

heads I don't know if they're Democrats

06:24

or not I don't know I'm just saying if

06:26

you're a reasonable jurist because all

06:28

they need is a reasonable doubt this

06:29

guy's done right there like he doesn't

06:32

even know he met the prosecutor of

06:34

course he knows he just spoke about it

06:35

in the podcast he doesn't know a

06:37

conversation he had with Trump about a

06:38

14-year-old who he considered such a

06:40

threat he had a call Trump's bodyguard

06:43

Schiller this is a mess and one of the

06:45

things that we learned early on as as as

06:48

than the feds on the FED side because we

06:49

were deeper in the court system there in

06:51

the city nothing goes to trial

06:52

everybody's just bled out so but in the

06:54

FED system a lot of stuff goes to Tron

06:56

I've been through quite a few of them is

06:58

90% of the game is not the facts it's

07:01

just not you know the old adage you get

07:02

the facts pound the facts if not pound

07:04

the table it's just not court is not

07:06

about facts 90% of time I wish it were

07:09

civil court is contractual Court

07:11

criminal court if someone's going to

07:12

trial they're just trying to make this

07:14

guy somewhat likable and you go back and

07:16

look at the research on this it's

07:17

conclusive you know there was that case

07:19

a while back with the two drug dealers

07:21

The Identical case they're both accused

07:23

of the same thing in the same crime one

07:25

gets like 20 years one guy gets five and

07:27

when they asked the jurors later they're

07:28

like yeah one guy was just like a

07:30

that that's not a reason and the thing

07:32

about Cohen the problem they have is not

07:34

only is he a convicted perjurer he's now

07:37

been eviscerated his credibility in

07:39

front of every branch of government in

07:41

this courtroom multiple times and he

07:43

just comes off unlikable that's why the

07:46

14-year-old story the story about the

07:49

women for Michael Cohen that's not

07:51

irrelevant stuff people are probably

07:53

like well what does that have to do with

07:54

the law this case has nothing to do with

07:55

the law the jury's trying to determine

07:57

who do they dislike more because it's a

07:59

blue state do they dislike Donald Trump

08:01

or Michael Cohen and blanch I thought

08:04

today today when it when that testimony

08:06

happened did an absolutely masterful job

08:09

of eviscerating this guy's credibility

08:11

and likability the likability thing is

08:14

critical he he on that subject of

08:16

likeability he zeroed in on something

08:18

we've been discussing here which is what

08:21

kind of an attorney tapes his client

08:25

surreptitiously the reason we've heard

08:27

Trump talking to Cohen about the payoff

08:29

not stormy which is that issue in this

08:30

case but to Karen McDougall another

08:33

woman who was trying to shake him down

08:34

from money or actually that let me

08:36

correct that she was going to strike a

08:38

deal with AMI American Media National

08:41

inquir to write M write uh stories for

08:44

them about Fitness in exchange for not

08:46

you know giving the story to anybody

08:47

else about her love affair with Trump so

08:49

she says uh the reason that's on taped

08:51

is because Michael Cohen taped his own

08:52

client and going back and talking to him

08:55

about how he buried it I mean it's

08:58

really like it is beyond the pale for a

09:00

lawyer to do that to a client and blanch

09:02

zero did on it on Thursday and said this

09:04

is from audio from a September 2016

09:07

conversation blanch you understand that

09:10

it's not ethical for a lawyer to record

09:12

a conversation with their client Cohen

09:14

agrees and then adds that recording a

09:16

client conversation is permitted under

09:18

the cried crime fraud exception to the

09:20

attorney client privilege rules meaning

09:22

it's not privileged if you and I are

09:24

talking about uh committing a crime

09:26

together but the hush money payment is

09:28

not a crime it's not so whatever okay so

09:30

then blanch says just so I understand

09:33

you surreptitiously recorded your client

09:36

so you could play a privileged recorded

09:38

communication between you and your

09:40

client with a third party Cohen that's

09:43

correct he admits it he wanted to play

09:46

for somebody else he ads it and Megan

09:48

this is so sleazy again let's separate

09:51

legality from likability okay the

09:54

likeability thing is huge in this case

09:56

it is super important I mean look at the

09:58

data on parole Le right parole Le if you

10:01

get a if you get there in front of your

10:03

parole board after lunch you got a

10:04

greater chance of getting parole because

10:06

everybody's in a good mood Michael Cohen

10:08

is putting everyone in a bad mood no one

10:10

no one not a jurist not a Democrat not a

10:13

republican wants to be surreptitiously

10:15

taped by someone they Place their trust

10:17

in no less an attorney having said that

10:19

this is viewed on so unfavorably that in

10:22

the State of Florida and Maryland two

10:24

states I lived in it is patently illegal

10:27

to tape someone without both par is

10:29

consenting New York's a I believe is a

10:31

one party consent State meaning if you

10:33

consent and you're on the phone you can

10:35

record it but that's a that that that

10:38

that that is viewed so that's considered

10:41

so shady that some states have said you

10:44

can't even do that you need a lawyer to

10:46

a client if you're my client I have a

10:49

fiduciary obligation to you I have an

10:52

ethical obligation to protect you

10:55

there's no there is no legal or

10:59

likeability explanation why you know I

11:02

argued this this came out I believe it

11:04

was the prosecution too introduced this

11:07

and I'm sitting there on my show and

11:08

like you I'm like having sat through

11:11

trial and TR like who the hell thought

11:14

this was a good

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