Donald Trump’s defense team began the cross-examination of Michael Cohen on Tuesday, questioning his constant criticisms of the former president and his lawyers. Attorney Todd Blanche asked Cohen if he called Trump a derogatory name on TikTok, which Cohen admitted to. Despite objections from prosecutors, Blanche continued to question Cohen about his negative comments about Trump on the social media platform.
Cohen, once a loyal lawyer to Trump, turned against him after being prosecuted for the same hush money incident that Trump is now on trial for. Cohen has made public statements against Trump on various platforms, including TikTok, drawing criticism for speaking out while being a witness in the case.
Blanche grilled Cohen about his comments on TikTok, questioning if he makes money from his livestreams, to which Cohen admitted he does. Blanche also asked about a shirt Cohen wore depicting Trump behind bars, indicating that Cohen profits from targeting Trump on the app.
The cross-examination is expected to continue into Thursday, with Blanche aiming to discredit Cohen’s credibility by portraying him as a felon seeking revenge on Trump. Cohen pleaded guilty to multiple crimes in 2018, including tax evasion and lying to Congress. While Trump was not prosecuted in the past, he now faces charges for allegedly trying to conceal Cohen’s payment to Stormy Daniels.
