CNN legal analyst Elie Honig took aim at Michael Cohen on Tuesday, suggesting his apparent dislike of presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump would be a “bonanza” for the defense team.
“The fact that Michael Cohen is so obviously consumed by hatred of Donald Trump and wants him in prison, is celebrating and selling t-shirts is outrageous. We take it for granted because this just happened. “It has been Michael Cohen's public persona for the last five or six years. “This should be a bonanza for cross-examination,” Honig said, after CNN's John Berman read the Trump team's questions to Cohen on Tuesday.
Honig suggested that prosecutors would have to “think long and hard before dismissing the case” after discovering that Cohen had sold T-shirts depicting Trump in prison.
Trump's defense team questioned Cohen on Tuesday and focused much of the questioning on his anti-Trump merchandise as well as his negative statements about the former president.
CNN legal analyst Elie Honig warns that Michael Cohen's hatred of Donald Trump could be a problem for prosecutors. (Screenshot/CNN)
MICHAEL COHEN TIKTOK AND FUNDRAISING VIDEOS STUNN LEGAL OBSERVERS: THEY MAY HAVE 'TORPETED THE CASE AGAINST TRUMP'
“I think it's offensive for the jury to laugh at a defendant going to jail,” Honig continued. “That's not something Michael Cohen can say or fantasize about.”
Former federal prosecutor Jeffrey Toobin said it was one thing for Cohen to express distaste for Trump, but that discussing the possible outcomes of the hush money case was bad for the prosecution.
“If you're talking about the results of this case, I mean, that's what this case is about, whether Donald Trump is eligible to go to prison or not. And you have Cohen campaigning for that. That's a very negative, very negative thing.” negative”. Tobin said.
Toobin, a former CNN legal analyst, said the jury was unlikely to forget the Trump team's focus on Cohen wanting the former president to be in prison.
Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen leaves his home for Manhattan Criminal Court for the trial of former US President Donald Trump for allegedly covering up hush payments related to extramarital affairs in New York City, May 14, 2024. (TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)
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Cohen testified that he worked closely with Trump before the 2016 election and negotiated on his behalf with adult film actress Stormy Daniels. A cash payment to Daniels, who claimed she was paid to keep quiet about an alleged affair with Trump, is at the center of charges against Trump for falsifying business records.
He also said he had secretly recorded Trump before the election. The recording was related to a payment made to former National Enquirer editor David Pecker, according to testimony.
Former President Donald Trump attends the first day of his criminal trial at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City on April 15, 2024. (Angela Weiss/AFP via AP Pool)
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Pecker had paid former Playboy model Karen McDougal $150,000 to buy her story that she had an affair with Trump and subsequently silence her claims before the election.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records related to District Attorney Alvin Bragg's investigation.
Fox News' Emma Colton contributed to this report.
