The final stretch of Donald Trump’s hush money trial in New York is in progress, with prosecutors’ last and star witness, Michael Cohen, back on the stand for further questioning before Trump’s lawyers present their case. Cohen’s testimony last week directly implicated Trump in the alleged hush money scheme, making him a key witness in the trial. Defense lawyers have been questioning Cohen extensively about his criminal history and past lies in an attempt to portray him as lacking credibility and as having a personal vendetta against Trump.
The trial, which has lasted for over four weeks, has involved testimony about topics such as sex, money, tabloid machinations, and the details of Trump’s company recordkeeping. Jurors may begin deliberating as early as this week to determine Trump’s guilt in 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. These charges stem from internal Trump Organization records that indicated payments to Cohen as legal expenses but were allegedly reimbursements for a $130,000 hush money payment to Stormy Daniels. Trump has pleaded not guilty, with his lawyers claiming that there was nothing illegal about the payments made to Cohen.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office is expected to rest its case once Cohen completes his testimony. However, prosecutors may present rebuttal witnesses if Trump’s lawyers decide to call witnesses of their own. The judge has indicated that closing arguments could take place as soon as Tuesday, depending on whether defense attorneys decide to call additional witnesses, including Trump himself. Defense lawyers are generally cautious about allowing their clients to testify to avoid intense questioning that could backfire.
Cohen’s testimony is crucial for prosecutors, but he is also vulnerable to attack by the defense. Cohen has admitted to lying under oath in the past and has benefitted financially from revealing damaging information about Trump. He has provided details of how Trump was involved in the plan to pay off Daniels to prevent her from disclosing information about a supposed sexual encounter with Trump in 2006. Despite being known for his temper, Cohen remained composed on the witness stand during cross-examination about his own actions and the case itself.
There was a notable moment in the trial when the defense questioned Cohen about the purpose of a phone call he made to Trump’s bodyguard before transferring funds to Daniels’ lawyer. While the defense tried to portray Cohen as dishonest, he maintained that Trump was involved in discussions about the hush money payment. Trump’s lawyers have indicated they may call a Republican law professor to challenge the prosecution’s claims of campaign finance violations related to the hush money payments. However, the judge has placed restrictions on what the expert witness can address, and the defense may ultimately choose not to call him after all.
