{"id":2254231,"date":"2024-05-28T12:33:02","date_gmt":"2024-05-28T16:33:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-lawyer-urges-jury-to-doubt-michael-cohen-in-closing-arguments\/"},"modified":"2024-05-28T12:36:08","modified_gmt":"2024-05-28T16:36:08","slug":"trump-lawyer-urges-jury-to-doubt-michael-cohen-in-closing-arguments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-lawyer-urges-jury-to-doubt-michael-cohen-in-closing-arguments\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump&#8217;s attorney encourages jury to question Michael Cohen in final address"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftrump-lawyer-urges-jury-to-doubt-michael-cohen-in-closing-arguments%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2254231&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>In the New York hush money trial, Trump&#8217;s defense attorney meticulously discredited the prosecution&#8217;s\u2062 case based on the unreliable testimony \u200dof Michael Cohen. The attorney\u2064 emphasized that the burden of proof lies\u2062 with the government and highlighted inconsistencies in the prosecution&#8217;s allegations of election influence and criminal conspiracy. The defense&#8217;s strategy aimed to showcase the \u2063lack of evidence supporting the prosecution&#8217;s \u200bclaims.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p><strong>NEW YORK \u2014<\/strong> In a highly anticipated conclusion to the New York <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3018617\/three-things-expect-final-stretch-trump-hush-money-trial\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">hush money<\/a> trial, counsel for former President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Donald Trump<\/a> delivered a meticulous closing argument aimed at discrediting the prosecution\u2019s case and instilling reasonable doubt in the minds of the jurors.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking calmly and methodically, defense attorney Todd Blanche guided the jury through key pieces of evidence, emphasizing that the case led by prosecutors with Manhattan District Attorney <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/alvin-bragg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Alvin Bragg\">Alvin Bragg<\/a>\u2018s office hinged on the unreliable testimony of Trump\u2019s former lawyer, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/michael-cohen\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Michael Cohen<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>Former President Donald Trump speaks alongside his attorney Todd Blanche following the day\u2019s proceedings in his trial on May 21, 2024, in Manhattan Criminal Court in New York. (Michael M. Santiago\/Pool Photo via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cYou cannot convict President Trump,\u201d Blanche repeatedly told the jury, stressing the sheer weight of its future deliberations. He also emphasized a key point: that Cohen was the only witness brought by Bragg\u2019s office who testified that Trump knew everything about the $130,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/some-politicians-notable-figures-weigh-in-on-trumps-claim-that-he-will-be-arrested-on-tuesday\/\" title=\"Some Politicians, Notable Figures Weigh In On Trump\u2019s Claim That He Will Be Arrested On Tuesday\">000 hush money payment made<\/a> to Stormy Daniels.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is no way that you can find that President Trump knew about this payment at the time it was made without believing the words of Michael Cohen \u2014 period,\u201d Blanche said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou cannot convict President Trump of any crime beyond a reasonable doubt based on the words of Michael Cohen,\u201d Blanche added, hitting at Cohen\u2019s dubious credibility and saying even the prosecution described him as having a history of lying.<\/p>\n<p>Blanche\u2019s defense strategy focused on several other key points. First, he argued that the payments made to Cohen and the Trump Organization\u2019s accounting practices were not criminal. Blanche presented excerpts from the court transcript and exhibits, including entries in the Trump Organization\u2019s business ledgers, to support this claim. He highlighted that the defense was not required to prove anything, reminding the jury that \u201cthe burden is always on the government.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Regarding prosecutors\u2019 allegations of election influence, Blanche dismissed the idea that Trump or David Pecker, the former CEO of American Media Inc., believed stories in the <em>National Enquirer<\/em> could sway the 2016 election. \u201cThe idea, even if there was something wrong with it, the idea that sophisticated people like President Trump and David Pecker believed that positive stories in the National Enquirer could influence the 2016 election is preposterous,\u201d Blanche argued, noting the publication\u2019s limited circulation of 350,000 at the time.<\/p>\n<p>Blanche also attacked the notion that a criminal conspiracy formed during a 2015 meeting at Trump Tower \u201cwhen the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/exclusive-1st-amendment-praetorian-goes-after-jan-6-committee-for-mccarthy-esque-defamation-tactics\/\" title=\"EXCLUSIVE: 1st Amendment Praetorian Goes After Jan. 6 Committee For \u2018McCarthy-esque\u2019 Defamation Tactics\">supposed criminal conspiracy<\/a> was formed.\u201d He emphasized that there was no discussion of \u201ccatch and kill\u201d strategies or financial arrangements at that meeting. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t even discussed at the time the conspiracy was formed. No financial discussion. No discussion about catch and kill. Think about that,\u201d he urged the jury.<\/p>\n<p>The defense further questioned the prosecution\u2019s narrative around the 2017 Oval Office meeting where Cohen allegedly discussed hush money payments with Trump. Blanche pointed out the lack of corroboration for Cohen\u2019s testimony and highlighted that just six days after the purported meeting, Cohen did not know the exact amount of money he was to be paid. \u201cThat\u2019s what he wants you to believe,\u201d Blanche said sarcastically.<\/p>\n<p>Blanche also presented the Office of Government Ethics forms from 2017, which disclosed payments to Cohen, arguing that there was no intent to defraud. He noted that the Trump Organization had properly reported these payments to the IRS. \u201cHow can it be that there was any intent to defraud by President Trump when he discloses it to the IRS, he tweets about it, and he submits it on his Office of Government Ethics forms?\u201d Blanche asked.<\/p>\n<p>Blanche also emphasized that labeling expenses from a lawyer as \u201clegal expenses\u201d was standard practice and not a crime. He reminded the jury that there was no evidence Trump knew about the voucher system used by the Trump Organization to process these payments at the time he was president. \u201cThere is no evidence that President Trump knew anything about this voucher system. No evidence. Not a single word,\u201d Blanche said.<\/p>\n<p>As the defense delivered its closing arguments, some jurors kept keen attention on Blanche, while others kept their eyes on monitors where testimony and documents were displayed, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/politics\/live-news\/trump-hush-money-trial-05-28-24\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">according<\/a> to CNN.<\/p>\n<p>Throughout his closing argument, Blanche reiterated that the prosecution had failed to meet its burden of proof and that convicting Trump based solely on Cohen\u2019s unreliable testimony would be a miscarriage of justice. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cPresident Trump is innocent,\u201d Blanche said. \u201cHe did not commit any crimes, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/radical-cultural-change-coming-to-america\/\" title=\"Radical Cultural Change Coming to America?\">district attorney<\/a> has not met their burden of proof \u2014 period. The evidence is all in.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Also in the courtroom on Tuesday was Bragg, the elected Democratic district attorney, himself. Trump brought several close allies with him on Tuesday, including his adult children Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and a rare appearance by Tiffany Trump.<\/p>\n<p>The court took a short break on Tuesday morning before Blanche was expected to finish his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/what-americans-really-think-about-candidates-who-support-transing-kids\/\" title=\"What Americans Really Think about Candidates Who Support Transing Kids\">closing argument ahead<\/a> of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republicans-rumble-at-state-party-convention-in-spokane\/\" title=\"Republican delegates gather for lively discussions at state party convention in Spokane\">scheduled lunch break<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the New York hush money trial, Trump&#8217;s lawyer meticulously discredited the prosecution&#8217;s case, seeding doubt among the jurors. Todd Blanche, the defense attorney, delivered a calm and methodical closing argument, guiding the jury through crucial points<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2633,"featured_media":2254232,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/michael-cohen-and-donald-trump-1024x591.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2254231","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/michael-cohen-and-donald-trump-1024x591.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2254231","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2633"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2254231"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2254231\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2254232"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2254231"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2254231"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2254231"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}