Trump Hush Money

Former US President Trump attends hush money criminal trial, New York, USA - 21 May 2024

Former US president Trump's hush money criminal trial continues in New York City, USA - 20 May 2024

Former U.S. President Trump's criminal trial on charges of falsifying business records continues in New York

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APTOPIX Trump Hush Money

Former U.S. President Donald Trump appears at court in New York

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Photo illustration of Donald Trump, Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels.

Michael Cohen Testifies Before the House Intelligence Committee

Former US president Trump's hush money criminal trial continues in New York City, USA - 09 May 2024

Michael Cohen, Longtime Lawyer for Donald Trump, Testifies at the U.S. Capitol Before the House Intelligence Committee 

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Former US President Trump attends hush money hearing over porn star payment, New York, USA - 25 Mar 2024

Former President Donald Trump's Hush Money Trial Continues In New York

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Elizabeth Williams

The <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/05/14/trump-trial-michael-cohen-new-york/" target=_blank>cross-examination</a> of Michael Cohen, the key witness against Donald Trump, began Tuesday with Trump’s attorney quizzing Cohen over his past lies and seeking to portray him as driven by a desire for publicity and revenge.

Trump is facing multiple charges of falsifying business records to hide a hush money payment to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels in 2016. He has pleaded not guilty, and denies having sex with Daniels.

Cohen’s testimony is crucial for the prosecution’s case against the former president and presumptive 2024 Republican nominee. On Monday, he detailed to the jury the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/05/14/michael-cohen-trump-testimony-transcript/" target=_blank>$130,000 payment</a> he made to Daniels and the plan for his reimbursement.

Here are key moments from the start of Cohen’s cross-examination in the trial in New York, based on an early transcript and lightly edited for brevity and clarity. You can read <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/transcripts-trump-hush-money-trial/" target=_blank>past trial transcripts on our website</a>.

The trial is not in session Wednesday; Cohen will be back on the stand Thursday.

The prosecution and the defense will make their closing arguments in Donald Trump’s hush money trial. Follow <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/05/28/trump-hush-money-trial-live-updates-closing-arguments/" target="_blank">live updates</a>.

Defense lawyer pushed Cohen on whether he lied to special counsel Robert S. Mueller III

Trump’s lawyer Todd Blanche used the cross-examination to paint Cohen as an unreliable witness and to question his credibility. In one of the more combative exchanges, Blanche pushed Cohen repeatedly on whether he lied to special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s office in 2018 about a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/12/03/president-trumps-misleading-statements-trump-tower-moscow-timeline/" target="_blank">deal</a> to license Trump’s name to a skyscraper in Moscow, during the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/mueller-flashes-some-cards-in-russia-probe-but-hides-his-hand/2018/12/08/03938a34-fb01-11e8-8c9a-860ce2a8148f_story.html" target="_blank">investigation</a> into whether Russia interfered in the 2016 election.

Todd Blanche, defense attorney: Now, they also asked you about the Trump Moscow project, and you lied to them; right?

Cohen: Yes. The information I gave was not accurate.

Blanche: So, is “not accurate” information a lie?

Cohen persisted in calling the information he gave “inaccurate” and not truthful, saying at one point that he would not characterize it as a “lie.” Ultimately, Blanche got Cohen to concede.

Blanche: But, you’re not testifying today that that information was a lie?

Cohen: Sure. I’ll say it’s a lie.

Cohen: I’ll say it’s a lie.

Blanche then quizzed Cohen on whether he recalled lying about anything else apart from the Moscow project.

Blanche: Do you recall lying about anything else or were you only lying about that? Or being inaccurate? Whatever word.

Cohen: I — I don’t know. I’d have to refresh my memory to see what the document is, but I specifically recall the number of times that I claimed to have spoken to Mr. Trump, which I was doing for his benefit and, in essence, at his direction.

Blanche quizzed Cohen on his profane social media attacks on Trump

Blanche began his cross-examination asking about a derogatory reference Cohen used for him on TikTok after trial began in April. Then he shifted focus to Cohen’s often-profane attacks on Trump.

Blanche: You referred to President Trump as a “Dictator Douche Bag,” didn’t you?

Cohen: Sounds like something I said.

Blanche pressed further asking Cohen if he recalled saying he hoped Trump would be jailed “like an animal.”

Cohen: I recall saying that.

Blanche sought to use Cohen’s social media rhetoric to depict him as publicity-hungry and vengeful. The defense lawyer brought up Cohen’s earlier statements lavishing praise on Trump to highlight his about-face and to portray him as being “obsessed” with the former president.

Blanche: On your first podcast, “Mea Culpa,” you referred to President Trump as a boorish cartoon misogynist, didn’t you?

Cohen: It sounds like something I would say.

Blanche asked if Cohen continued to attack Trump similarly through 2020, including name-calling him as “a Cheeto-dusted cartoon villain.”

Cohen: That also sounds like something I said.

Cohen’s answers to Blanche were at times indecisive, in contrast to the simple and direct answers he often gave to prosecutors.

Blanche: You also said in that same podcast, did you not, that President Trump needs to wear handcuffs and to do the perp walk, people will not be satisfied until this man is sitting inside the cell; do you recall saying that?

Cohen: I don’t recall saying that, but I wouldn’t put it past me.

Prosecutors gave Cohen a chance to tell jury his reasons for past lies

Anticipating questions from the defense on Cohen’s history, prosecutors in the morning questioned Cohen to allow him a chance to explain his checkered past ahead of the cross-examination. In 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/05/14/trump-hush-money-trial-takeaways-michael-cohen/" target=_blank>multiple crimes</a> including lying to Congress, tax evasion, making a false statement to a bank and campaign finance violations.

Cohen replied in the affirmative on Tuesday morning when prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked whether he continued to protect Trump while serving as the personal counsel to the president.

Susan Hoffinger, prosecution attorney: And during the time that you served as personal counsel to the president, did you continue to lie for him?

Hoffinger: Why did you do that?

Cohen: Out of loyalty and in order to protect him.

Cohen told the jury he lied to the Congress about Trump’s Moscow real estate project in 2017.

Cohen: Because I was staying on Mr. Trump’s message that there was no Russia-Russia-Russia and, again, in coordination with the Joint Defense Team, that’s what was preferred.

Hoffinger asked Cohen about a 2018 letter to the Federal Election Commission about the $130,000 payout to Daniels. The letter stated that Cohen used his personal funds to pay Daniels and was not directly or indirectly reimbursed.

Hoffinger: Was that statement false or misleading?

The letter, Cohen said, was misleading as it denied the involvement of the Trump Organization and campaign but omitted mentioning Trump himself. He said the letter had been intended to be misleading, and was then asked why.

Cohen: In order to protect Mr. Trump. To stay on message. To demonstrate my continued loyalty.

SAJA Daniel Pearl Award 2022 (India under Surveillance)

SAJA Award for Business Reporting 2022 (Facebook under Fire)

Member of the team to win the George Polk Award for Technology Reporting 2021 (The Pegasus Project)

Honorable mention, SABEW Award 2021 (Facebook Papers)

New York Society for Professional Journalists Award, 2016

Radio Digital Television Network Foundation Fellow, 2016

Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation Scholar, 2015

Honorable mention, World Media Summit Global Awards, 2014

Toto Funds the Arts Award, 2013

Delhi University, BA in English

Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, MA in Journalism

Niha Masih is a reporter at The Washington Post's Seoul hub, where she covers breaking news in the United States and across the world. Previously, she was The Post's correspondent in India, where she covered the rise of majoritarian nationalism, conflict in Kashmir, the covid crisis and digital surveillance of citizens.

Niha Masih

The lies Michael Cohen admitted to, from the Trump trial transcript

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A courtroom sketch of Michael Cohen on the witness stand with the headline: The lies and insults of Michael Cohen, from the Trump trial transcript

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The lies and insults of Michael Cohen, from the Trump trial transcript

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