(Molly Bruns, Headline USA) While testifying in court on Thursday, Michael Cohen, former lawyer for previous president Donald Trump, revealed that a phone call he previously testified concerned a bribe given to Stormy Daniels was actually a complaint about a 14 year-old prank caller, according to the New York Post.
The revelation took place at the tail end of a three-day cross examination of Trump’s Manhattan criminal trial.
Trump lawyer Todd Blanche introduced evidence that on the same day he allegedly paid Stormy Daniels $130,000 to cover up Trump’s affair, Cohen also threatened to report his prank caller to the Secret Service.
Another possible point of perjury. Cohen testified Tuesday that a Oct. 24 phone call was to speak to Trump. However, Branche revealed that, in a Cohen text to Keith Schiller, Donald Trump's former bodyguard, Cohen asked Schiller about harassing calls from an alleged 14-year-old…
— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) May 16, 2024
Cohen texted his colleague, Keith Schiller, about the situation, who responded with a brief “call me” text.
Cohen’s phone records from that day show a 96-second phone call, in which he previously claimed to update Trump on the situation with Daniels.
After Blanche entered the new evidence, Cohen changed his statement.
“Part of it was about the phone calls [with the prankster], but I knew that Keith was with Mr. Trump at the time, and it was more than potentially just this,” he claimed.
Blanche responded with disbelief, saying he did not think a minute and 30 seconds was enough to discuss both topics.
“I believe I was telling the truth,” Cohen replied.
Reports from all sides of the political aisle indicated disbelief on this point, even at CNN, where a legal analyst described Cohen’s situation as “get[ting] his knees chopped out.”
CNN legal analyst: "I don't think I've never seen a star cooperating witness get his knees chopped out quite as clearly and dramatically as what just happened with Michael Cohen." pic.twitter.com/NcghETrUIJ
— MAGA War Room (@MAGAIncWarRoom) May 16, 2024
Anderson Cooper even praised Blanche for his legal strategy.
“It was incredible… lawyers want to build a box around the witness and slam it shut–that’s what Todd Blanche did to Cohen,” he said. “It was an extraordinary cross. Cohen was cornered… in a lie.”
Anderson Cooper was left stunned by Trump's attorney's cross examination of Michael Cohen
"It was incredible…lawyers want to build a box around the witness & slam it shut–that's what Todd Blanche did to Cohen…it was an extraordinary cross…Cohen was cornered in…a lie" pic.twitter.com/WKnKCs8TkU
— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) May 16, 2024
MSNBC’s Ari Melber and CNN’s Jake Tapper both admitted that Blanche cornered Cohen in a lie.
