Michael Cohen admitted to insulting Donald Trump as a “dictator douchebag” and a “Cheeto-dusted cartoon villain” while being cross-examined in Manhattan Supreme Court where Trump is being tried for a hush money scandal. Trump’s lawyers tried to paint Cohen as a self-serving turncoat out for revenge, questioning his credibility and motives. Cohen coolly responded to the attacks, admitting to calling Trump names on his podcast and profiting from writing books about his former boss. Cohen also sells merchandise referencing Trump, including anti-Trump slogans on coffee cups and shirts, and he engages with followers on TikTok to vent and cope with insomnia.
During his cross-examination, Cohen admitted to profiting handsomely after turning against Trump, earning millions from books and merchandise related to his former boss. Defense attorneys grilled Cohen on his past lies to investigators and Congress, which Cohen attributed to protecting Trump. Cohen confessed to misleading investigators about the Trump Tower real estate project in Moscow and conversations with Trump about the “Access Hollywood” tape. He said he stopped being loyal to Trump after speaking with his family about his guilty plea and realizing the toll his loyalty had taken on him and his family.
Cohen once admired and admired Trump, admitting to reading Trump’s book “The Art of the Deal” twice and being deeply involved in the Trump “cult” before their relationship soured. Cohen confessed to covering for Trump out of loyalty and regretted lying and bullying others to protect Trump’s interests. He said the loyalty he showed to Trump and the questionable deeds he did at Trump’s request violated his moral compass and hurt him and his family. Trump sat behind his attorneys in court, sometimes engaged and chatting, or slouched back with his eyes closed, disengaged.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s prosecution alleges that Cohen paid hush money to Stormy Daniels on Trump’s orders to silence her story about an affair with Trump before the 2016 election, claiming Trump intended to hide a scandal from voters. Cohen admitted that he wanted Trump convicted in the case and is determined to speak out against Trump through his books and merchandise sales. His cross-examination by Trump’s lawyers revealed the depth of his previous admiration for Trump and his eventual disillusionment with his former boss.
During cross-examination, Cohen admitted to lying to investigators and Congress about his interactions with Trump, attributing his falsehoods to protecting Trump and his interests. The defense painted Cohen as a deceitful turncoat who had turned against Trump after facing federal charges, implying that Cohen’s motives were self-serving. Cohen described how his loyalty led him to do questionable acts at Trump’s request, ultimately leading him to regret his actions. Trump claimed the trial was politically motivated and a revenge plot to undermine his re-election campaign, expressing frustration with the length of the trial and its impact on his campaign efforts. Cohen’s cross-examination will continue in the trial.
