Trump trial: Prosecution taking defense witness apart on stand

[Johnny2X2X]

Caught him in a bald faced lie.

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-hush-money-trial-05-21-24/index.html

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger shows the jury an email from Robert Costello to Michael Cohen on April 19, 2018, indicating that Rudy Giuliani was joining Trump's team.

9 min ago
Prosecutor asks Costello about mentioning Giuliani with Cohen
Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asks Robert Costello whether he discussed with Michael Cohen how connected he was to Rudy Giuliani at their first meeting at the Regency Hotel.

"That’s not true," Costello says

"I am sure you saw the news that Rudy is joining the Trump legal team. I told you my relationship with Rudy which could be very very useful for you," Costello emailed Cohen.

Hoffinger went on to show Costello another email he sent to Jeff Citron on April 19, 2018: "All the more reason for Cohen to hire me because of my connection to Giuliani, which I mentioned to him in our meeting."

"That was your email, correct?" Hoffinger asks.

"Correct," Costello says.

This Costello charcter is a joke and a crook. This might be the defense's only witness. Prosecution just crushing him. Good stuff.

[C_U_L8R]

1. The arrogance of Magat criminals is their soft underbelly

Hoffinger is gonna cram evidence down this joker's gullet until he squawks uncle.

[BoRaGard]

2. Smelvis's only sworn defender is a freaking flat-out Republican LIAR

What do you suppose that tells us?

[Johnny2X2X]

3. Costello was trying to get Cohen to stop cooperating

This is dirty stuff. This was witness intimidation and Costello persisted even after Cohen sent him an email asking him to stop contacting him. Straight up mob tactics, even against Cohen. All but saying to him, "It'd be a real shame if something happened to you."

[iluvtennis]

10. Exactly - witness intimidation. Costello's testimony backfired on TSF's defense team. n/t

[Johnny2X2X]

4. Defense rests

Closing statements are all that is left.

Trump's team barely put on a defense. I think their strategy is that the lack of drawn out defense will convince the jury that the prosecution didn't do muych to prove their case.

[Attilatheblond]

9. Am thinking maybe the Defense Team is so friggin fed up with TSF that they WANT him to do down

It kinda seems like they are rowing their boat in the same direction as the prosecution.

[txwhitedove]

11. My thoughts exactly. Oh gee, how to defend the indefensible?

[Johnny2X2X]

12. Diagree

They put on a vigorous defense cross examining Cohen and Stormy, but especially Cohen. I think their thinking is that their cross of Cohen was enough to get their client acquitted. I think they're relying on muddying the waters sufficently that the jury doesn't know what really happened, so they have to acquit.

I think a lot will be determined by the closing arguments. The prosecution would do well to keep it short and sweet and just recap the evidence and what it supports, they can touch on testimony, but mainly to shwo that the evidence supports it.

This is not a slam dunk conviction, no one hould be saying that. But after Costello today, I think a conviction is more likely than not now. I wasn't as optimistic after Cohen's terstimony was finished.

[Johnny2X2X]

5. Closing statements a week from today

Then the jury gets to decide. We should know by the end of next week if Trump is convicted or acquitted.

[CaptainTruth]

6. Several legal comentators said calling Costello...

...to the stand was a big mistake the second the defense did it because it would subject him to cross exam & it wouldn't end well. And they were right.

It's notable how people observing the case from afar can see that but apparently Trump's attorneys can't. Only the best!

[Johnny2X2X]

8. Yeah, costello came across as a stereotypical mob lawyer

He was damaging to the defense.

[Bev54]

7. Is this the email that she said "the email speaks for itself?"

Costello was being flippant yesterday and said that and she threw it right back in his face this am but I am not sure if this was the time. Anybody have a theory of why the judge allowed Trump's surrogates to stay in the court when he cleared everyone else out? I wonder if he wanted them to hear it, in case they had any thoughts of acting out in the courtroom. I cannot think of any other reason they would be allowed to stay.

[Johnny2X2X]

13. Yes, I think so

Basically, went through several emails of Costello's that directly countered what he just testified to.

[Spazito]

14. Everyone including trump's cheering squad had to leave...

they weren't allowed to stay in the courtroom, only the Judge, the lawyers and Costello and court staff remained from what I understand.

The prosecution's lawyer, Susan Hoffinger, made the comment referred to in the OP this morning, not yesterday.

[Bev54]

17. They said on MSNBC this morning that his surrogates were allowed to stay which is why the

press was so mad.

[Spazito]

18. NBC is definitely reporting that only the press was removed....

but the public, including trump's cheerleaders, were allowed to stay. That is bizarre if true.

From an NBC article:

""This is an open courtroom," one person said while asking why the room was being cleared of journalists, while the attorneys and Trump’s surrogates were allowed to stay."

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/live-blog/trump-trial-live-updates-rcna152980#rcrd42096

[Bev54]

19. Yeah it is bizarre that is why I wondered if he wanted them to get the message too or

did he have something to say to them too.

[Spazito]

20. I was just reading parts of the transcript from the incident yesterday and...

it looks like the Judge only spoke to Costello and trump's lawyers and not anyone else:

From the Washington Post:

Merchan: I’m putting you on notice that your conduct is contemptuous. If you try to stare me down one more time, I will remove you from the stand. I will strike his entire testimony; do you understand me?

Bove: Yes, Judge. I understand.

Merchan: Listen to the question and answer the question.

Costello: Can I say something, please?

Merchan: No. No. This is not a conversation.

Costello: Okay.

With Costello’s “okay,” the judge let the journalists, who had been corralled behind barricades in the hallway during the exchange, back in.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/05/21/robert-costello-trump-trial-transcript/?isMobile=1

[surfered]

15. Lying is what they do.

[peppertree]

16. Wasn't Costello the errand boy between the NY FBI office and Rudy Colludy, in the "pretty big surprise" leak?

How that fat drunk managed to escape prosecution - or even much notice, up to now - says a lot about the state our rule of law is in.