MSNBC legal correspondent Lisa Rubin expressed her astonishment towards a key exchange during the cross-examination of ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen in the ongoing New York v. Trump trial.
During MSNBC's coverage of the trial on Thursday, Rubin zeroed in on what the network described as the "John Grisham moment" and the "biggest point" earned by Team Trump when defense attorney Todd Blanche grilled Cohen about his communications with Trump's former bodyguard Keith Schiller.
"When he started talking about the harassing phone calls that Cohen was getting, I think a bunch of us looked at each other sort of quizzically being like, ‘What is this? Where is this going?’" Rubin said. "And then it became clear when he first brought up the text to Keith Schiller on October 24 after getting Cohen to reestablish that that was the day on which he called Schiller to reach Trump and that remained his testimony that he discussed with Trump that day, the resolution of the Stormy Daniels matter and that it was time to pay out Stormy."
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MSNBC legal correspondent Lisa Rubin called Trump lawyer Todd Blanche's grilling of Michael Cohen a "moment of real triumph" for the defense team. (Screenshot/MSNBC)
"Once he connected up to the Keith Schiller text I thought, 'Oh, we're in for something here.' And indeed, we were," Rubin told MSNBC's Chris Jansing, "because Michael Cohen not only admitted that he is now less than certain about what got discussed that day and that it could have been both but he's not positive given the one minute and 30-something seconds of that phone call, but also that in eight years he had never seen that Keith Schiller text and that it was not among the things that the district attorney's office had shown him."
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"That makes the district attorney's office look sloppy in addition to making Michael Cohen seem like a self-assured either fabricator, liar or forgetful person. It casts doubt on the veracity of a ton of his testimony and not just about who he did or didn't talk to on October 24 or October 26. It sort of cast lots of his testimony in doubt, given the passage of time and makes the district attorney's office look terrible all in one breath," Rubin continued.
"This is a moment of real triumph for Todd Blanche, you can even hear it in his voice. He is not a person to get excitable very easily," Rubin added before calling it a "real point for the defense."
CNN analyst Elie Honig added that Cohen had his "knees chopped out" during cross-examination, while the New York Times' Jonathan Alter described the exchange as "pay dirt" for Trump's defense. Alter added Trump seemed happy even after the defense couldn't shake Cohen on another story about a payoff to ex-Playboy model Karen McDougal.
"Even so, I saw Trump smiling as he whispered to one of his lawyers. It was a good day for him," Alter wrote.
Michael Cohen is asked about taking an oath as he is cross-examined by defense lawyer Todd Blanche during former President Trump's criminal trial in Manhattan state court in New York City, May 16, 2024, in this courtroom sketch. (Reuters/Jane Rosenberg )
During the contentious exchange, Blanche accused Cohen of lying about a phone call he allegedly made to Schiller to speak with Trump about the hush money payment. But an unearthed text exchange showed Cohen asking Schiller who he could speak with about harassing phone calls he had been receiving from an alleged 14-year-old prankster, to which Schiller responded, "Call me."
Cohen previously testified Tuesday that the Oct. 24 phone call, which lasted for one minute and 36 seconds, was about Trump.
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Former President Trump speaks to the press alongside his lawyer Todd Blanche at his trial at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 7, 2024, in New York City. (Win McNamee/Pool via Reuters)
Blanche asked if the testimony on Tuesday was a lie because Cohen said then that he called to speak with Trump. Cohen responded, "Part of it was the 14-year-old ... but I know Keith was with Mr. Trump." Blanche again accused Cohen of lying insisted he never spoke with Trump that day.
"That was a lie, you did not talk to President Trump," Blanche said.
"I’m not certain that’s accurate," Cohen responded.
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The cross-examination of Cohen is set to resume on Monday. Cohen was billed as the prosecution's star witness in its case against former President Trump but has widely been panned as a proven liar and has had his credibility scrutinized over his open animus towards his ex-boss.
Fox News' Kyle Morris contributed to this report.
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