Donald J. Trump’s protection lawyer had waited a day and a half for this second, to rise and start the cross-examination of the prosecution’s star witness. Proper out of the gate, he tried to set the tone for the way the proceedings would unfold.
Did you, Todd Blanche requested Michael D. Cohen, go on TikTok and name me a “crying little shit?”
Quickly afterward, there was a sidebar, out of earshot of jurors. In accordance with a transcript, Choose Juan M. Merchan advised Mr. Blanche “don’t make it about your self.”
That matter distributed with, Mr. Blanche went on to ask Mr. Cohen concerning the T-shirts he sells on-line that present Mr. Trump in a jumpsuit behind bars, and about whether or not he lied in previous interactions with federal prosecutors about, say, the Trump Tower Moscow challenge. As if attempting to maintain his cool, Mr. Cohen answered metronomically slowly at instances.
Mr. Blanche appear to battle in his first day of cross-examination to land a “gotcha” second on Tuesday afternoon, grilling Mr. Cohen a couple of dizzying number of previous interactions spanning years. This case is barely Mr. Blanche’s second prison trial as a protection lawyer, and certainly one of his few state courtroom engagements.
He sought to painting Mr. Cohen as a stalker bent on revenge in opposition to Mr. Trump for turning his again on him — no actual shock, contemplating that Mr. Cohen’s two books are titled “Disloyal” and “Revenge.”
Watching the proceedings, it could possibly be simply forgotten that simply over a 12 months in the past, Mr. Blanche was a registered Democrat in New York and a accomplice at Wall Avenue’s oldest legislation agency. However within the months since, he has fallen in behind his new shopper professionally and, it could appear, personally. He purchased a house in Florida close to Mar-a-Lago, the place he can meet Mr. Trump with little discover, and introduced his household to a Trump occasion on Tremendous Tuesday.
The swift transformation in service of a defendant whom many outstanding attorneys have refused to symbolize stunned those that have labored alongside Mr. Blanche through the years. The previous president is understood for biking by way of attorneys as a lot as he’s for ignoring their payments. And but Mr. Blanche, 49, hopped off the snug profession monitor of a federal prosecutor and white-collar protection lawyer to take his case.
“I’ve heard from a very good variety of individuals within the S.D.N.Y. who’ve mentioned, ‘Why the heck would Todd do that — why would he ever take this case?’” Elie Honig, a CNN senior authorized analyst who labored with Mr. Blanche on the Southern District of New York, mentioned in a latest profile. “My response is, typically, when did we turn into pearl-clutchers about protection attorneys defending defendants?”
“That’s what the job is and what our system requires,” he added.
Mr. Blanche’s associates name him deeply loyal and dedicated to the notion that Mr. Trump shouldn’t be on trial within the Manhattan case. He’s each aggressive and, not like his well-known shopper, soft-spoken.
So he could have been reaching outdoors of his consolation zone on Tuesday when, in change after change, he sought to indicate jurors a glimpse of Mr. Cohen’s unfiltered facet, solely to be met with the witness’s persistent calm.
“Would you like President Trump to get convicted on this case?” Mr. Blanche requested.
“Positive,” Mr. Cohen responded.
A short time later, Mr. Blanche requested: Had Mr. Cohen known as Mr. Trump a “boorish cartoon misogynist” and “Cheeto-dusted cartoon villain?”
Appears like one thing I might say, Mr. Cohen responded.
Maggie Haberman, Ben Protess and Alan Feuer contributed reporting.
