Former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial didn’t go well for the prosecution.
As George Washington law professor Jonathan Turley explained, he does not believe the prosecution has made its case and believes Judge Juan Merchan should throw out the case before it is presented to the jury. Whether Merchan will now make a judgment based on the evidence presented remains to be seen.
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Jonathan Turley: Michael Cohen’s statement offers ‘nothing modern’ to convict Trump
Monday in Manhattan: The prosecution’s “star” witness, Michael Cohen, takes the stand (Trump trial – day 16)
But the comments Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) made about Cohen are raising eyebrows for a variety of reasons.
MSNBC’s Willie Geist asked him if he thought the prosecution had stated their point of view. Goldman’s answer:
“Well, I guess it remains to be seen, and that’s the key. On the one hand, this is the technical and legal requirement that they have to prove. In these trials, jurors often want to make sure they meet all the criteria, but defending the details is difficult. I would repeat what Claire said – and I deposed Michael Cohen, I met with him several times to prepare him – that was a different statement than his conduct during the attorney general’s trial. This is different than in the past.”
Some on the right react to the statement “I deposed Michael Cohen, I met with him several times to prepare him” and believe he is talking about the current hush money trial.
Rep. Dan Goldman says he met with Michael Cohen, a witness in Trump’s hush-money trial, “many times” to “prepare” him. pic.twitter.com/GphQijXuQw
– Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) May 14, 2024
However, Goldman doesn’t actually say he prepared him for this, and in context he seems to be talking about something else in the past, although it’s not clear what procedure he’s talking about here. Goldman questioned Michael Cohen was under oath for a few days while serving as special counsel to the House Intelligence Committee. Maybe that’s what he means when he talks about his removal. Maybe Republicans want to clarify what is being said here.
But what Goldman is acknowledging here is the huge problem the prosecution has with the case: Not only does it have to meet the legal requirements of the alleged crimes (which is certainly a question here), but it also has a solemn problem with Michael Cohen.
“[Michael Cohen] “He’s a known perjurer, he’s a known liar, he’s given inconsistent testimony on the witness stand…” – Democratic Rep. Dan Goldman. pic.twitter.com/r6b2V2M5q6
– Francis Brennan (@FrancisBrennan) May 14, 2024
Cohen is “a known perjurer, he’s a known liar, he’s given contradictory statements on the stand, so he’s either lying one time or another, and he’s really going to be skewered for it under cross-examination.”” Goldman said.
After admitting it, Goldman tries to interpret the case as best as he can, attacking Trump and saying he doesn’t I care about voting rights. That’s nonsense, but you still have to prove a crime here, which they haven’t been able to do so far.
