Former President Donald Trump’s attorney wrapped up the defense’s case Tuesday by taking a sledgehammer to former fixer Michael Cohen’s credibility.
Reminding the jury of Cohen’s past lies, Blanche took multiple jabs at his character during closing arguments, nicknaming him the “MVP” of liars and “the human embodiment of reasonable doubt,” according to multiple reports. Blanche highlighted a long list of individuals Cohen has lied to: his family, his wife, his kids, his banker, prosecutors, a federal judge, Congress, the Federal Election Commission and “every single reporter he talked to for about a year,” according to Politico. (RELATED: Trump’s Attorney Made Swiss Cheese Out Of Michael Cohen’s Testimony, Raising Questions Of Perjury)
Blanche emphasized that Cohen also lied to jurors, arguing he committed perjury on the stand by claiming he made a phone call on Oct. 24, 2016 to talk with Trump about the Stormy Daniels deal. Through text messages Cohen sent to Trump’s bodyguard Keith Schiller on the same day, Blanche demonstrated during cross-examination that Cohen really called Schiller to ask for help handling harassing calls he was receiving from a teenager.
“It. Was. A. Lie.” Blanche said of Cohen’s testimony, per Politico. “That is per-jur-y.”
Blanche also pointed to Cohen’s admission to stealing $60,000 from the Trump Organization, stating that he’s “also a thief.”
Blanche asked jurors if they are familiar with the acronym GOAT, which stands for “greatest of all time.” Michael Cohen, Blanche said, “is the GLOAT: Greatest Liar of All Time.”
Upon hearing this, one of the jurors, a young woman, cracked a smile and began laughing softly.
— erica orden (@eorden) May 28, 2024
As Blanche wrapped up, he asked jurors if they had heard the term “GOAT” — meaning the “greatest of all time.”
“Michael Cohen is the G.L.O.A.T.,” Blanche said, per the New York Times, casting Cohen as the “greatest liar of all time.”
Blanche on Cohen:
“He told you a number of things on that witness stand that were lies, pure and simple.”
— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) May 28, 2024
Blanche told jurors they could not “send someone to prison” based on Cohen’s words, according to CNN.
Cohen was the only witness who directly tied Trump to charges at the heart of the case. Trump was indicted on 34 felony counts for allegedly falsifying business records related to reimbursing Cohen for the payment he made for a nondisclosure agreement with porn star Stormy Daniels.
Judge Juan Merchan took issue with Blanche using the phrase “send to prison,” calling it “outrageous” and saying he should know better as a former prosecutor, according to multiple reports. He granted prosecutors’ request to issue a curative instruction to the jury about the statement.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
