Trump Trial: Michael Cohen Set to Testify Monday

Ready for the next move made by the liberals against Trump in his ‘hush money’ case?

Michael Cohen is gearing up to take the witness stand on Monday.

But there’s a twist.

The Judge, Juan M. Merchan, overseeing the trial literally told prosecutors to rein in Cohen’s taunting antics aimed at Trump. Color me surprised!

According to prosecutor Joshua Steinglass, the prosecution might wrap up its case by the end of next week.

Get ready for more courtroom drama this coming monday as Cohen’s testimony unfolds!

But I’m guessing Cohen will make sure to keep the drama rolling on social media with more anti-Trump posts over the weekend.

Michael Cohen warned to stop taunting Trump ahead of testifying at hush money trial https://t.co/SMyggf6KIF pic.twitter.com/t995YKLfde

— National Post (@nationalpost) May 11, 2024

Gag order on Trump, but Cohen is free to post anti-Trump videos on TikTok?

Judge Merchan REFUSED yet again to lift Trump's gag order but is perfectly fine with Michael Cohen on TikTok sporting a t-shirt of Trump wearing an orange jumpsuit in prison? Are you kidding me right now?!!

Have you ever seen a more CORRUPT judge???🙄 pic.twitter.com/7OzQXVIxPS

— Michelle #FJB (@MichelleRM68) May 10, 2024

AP News reports:

NEW YORK (AP) — With Donald Trump’s fixer-turned-foe Michael Cohen expected to take the witness stand Monday, the judge in the former president’s hush money case issued prosecutors a stern warning: Get Cohen to stop his taunting posts and jabs at Trump.

Judge Juan M. Merchan’s comments came as a dramatic and consequential week in the first criminal trial of a former American president drew to a close Friday. The prosecution could rest its case by the end of next week, prosecutor Joshua Steinglass said.

Prosecutors have been building up their case ahead of important testimony from Cohen, who arranged the $130,000 payout to porn actor Stormy Daniels to keep her from going public ahead of the 2016 election about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump a decade earlier. Trump denies ever having sex with Daniels.

The judge’s warning underscores how Cohen is not only prosecutors’ most crucial witness, but their most complicated. Once a Trump loyalist, he has become one of his fiercest critics since pleading guilty to federal charges, routinely bashing and mocking the former president on social media.

Defense attorneys will argue that the now-disbarred lawyer who served prison time is out to get Trump and cannot be believed.

Two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press that Cohen is expected to take the stand Monday. The people could not discuss the matter publicly and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.

Trump’s lawyers complained after Cohen in a social media video this week wore a shirt featuring a figure resembling the former president behind bars. The defense has argued it’s unfair that Trump is under a gag order that prevents him from speaking publicly about witnesses while Cohen is free to speak badly about Trump.

ADVERTISEMENT

“It’s becoming a problem every single day that President Trump is not allowed to respond to this witness, but this witness is allowed to continue to talk,” defense attorney Todd Blanche said.

Merchan told prosecutors they should inform Cohen “that the judge is asking him to refrain from making any more statements” about the case or about Trump. Prosecutors told the judge they already requested that Cohen and other witnesses not talk about the case, but they have no direct means of controlling witnesses’ behavior.

Cohen did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday from The Associated Press.

As the third week of testimony wrapped up, the case that ultimately hinges on record-keeping returned to deeply technical testimony — a sharp contrast from Daniels’ dramatic, if not downright seamy, account of the alleged sexual encounter with Trump that riveted jurors earlier this week.

Witnesses in the case have seesawed between bookkeepers and bankers with testimony about records and finances to Daniels and others with unflattering stories about Trump and the tabloid world machinations meant to keep them secret. Despite all the drama, in the end, the trial is about money changing hands — business transactions — and whether those payments were made to illegally influence the 2016 election.

Friday’s dry testimony appeared to test jurors’ patience at times. One juror stifled a yawn while another stretched out his arms. Others shifted their gaze around the room or stared up at the ceiling.

Trump, who was visibly angry during much of Daniels’ testimony, chatted frequently with his lawyers and read through a stack of papers on the table in front of him as jurors heard from witnesses such as AT&T and Verizon workers, who authenticated phone records.

Leaving the courthouse, Trump addressed the allegation at the heart of the case: that he falsified his company’s records to conceal the nature of hush money reimbursements to Cohen. Trump’s lawyers have portrayed the ledger entries at issue in the case as pro forma actions performed by a Trump Organization employee.

ADVERTISEMENT

Here he is trying to make a buck selling Trump in prison shirts.

Also, he’s a disgrace to that Superman shirt, the hero that represents ‘Truth, justice and the American way.’

Trump has a gag order on him but Alvin Bragg’s lead witness Michael cohen can go on TikTok and sell t shirts of Trump in jail
pic.twitter.com/uQRQ7numNK

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) May 10, 2024