Trump, Venting About Lawyer in His Criminal Trial, Seeks More Aggression

[speak easy]

Trump wants his lawyer Todd Blanche, to attack the witnesses, the (hostile) jury, and the judge.

Donald J. Trump’s Manhattan criminal trial had barely begun when he started to turn his anger toward his lead lawyer, Todd Blanche.

Although Mr. Blanche has been Mr. Trump’s favorite lawyer for some time, behind closed doors and in phone calls, the former president has complained repeatedly about him in recent weeks, according to four people familiar with the situation.

He has griped that Mr. Blanche, a former federal prosecutor and veteran litigator, has not been following his instructions closely, and has been insufficiently aggressive. Mr. Trump wants him to attack witnesses, attack what the former president sees as a hostile jury pool, and attack the judge, Juan M. Merchan.

Mr. Trump, who often complains about legal fees and sometimes refuses to pay them, has also wondered aloud why his lawyers cost so much, according to the people, who all spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive topic.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/30/us/politics/trump-trial-todd-blanche.html

As every attorney knows, courtroom tactics 101 is to attack the judge.

[Ocelot II]

1. Maybe he should represent himself.

Wouldn't that be a spectacle?

[hatrack]

2. Pro Shart, uh, Pro Se . . . .

[Biophilic]

57. No cameras in the courtroom. Too bad. That would be fun otherwise. nt

[meow2u3]

67. You know what they say about those who have self for a lawyer...

#AFoolForAClient

[wnylib]

68. And he could later, appeal the conviction on the grounds of incompetent representation.

[no_hypocrisy]

3. His attorneys are on to Trump.

Likely they’re expecting millionaire dollar retainers with million dollar replenishments.

And yeah, attacking a jury is sure fire for a guilty verdict.

[Farmer-Rick]

39. Yes, that's the ticket

Trump should get his lawyers to attack the jury for him as frequently as possible. That will make the jury obey Trump. In their deliberations, the jury won't consider attacks against them.....never. That would be unjust.

[keithbvadu2]

81. Any lawyer on to Trump is going to want money up front.

[Leghorn21]

4. Hey Todd Blanche way to publicly wreck your career and lick somebody's toes in full view of the world

EWWWWWWWWW
I feel so bad for you HEY WAIT

[sop]

5. Hope Blanche got his entire fee up front.

[ZonkerHarris]

66. hope he gets stiffed big time.

[Botany]

6. Lawyer Blanche can not break the law or the rules of the court no matter what Trump tells him to do

Blanche can not attack the Judge, the Jury, or the Witnesses if he wants to keep
his law license and or not face criminal charges himself.

Donny sees himself going down in this trial and there is nothing he can
do about it. 34 felony charges and each one carries a 2 to 4 year sentence.

[speak easy]

8. " 34 felony charges and each one carries a 2 to 4 year sentence."

To be served concurrently?

[Ray Bruns]

45. Consecutively

[ShazzieB]

78. I doubt that's automatic.

I'm no legal eagle, but I know people get sentenced to serve multiple sentences concurrently all the time. Sentencing guidelines (which vary by state and the type of crime) enter into it, and I'm pretty sure judges have a lot to say about it as well.

[Ray Bruns]

85. Should be for this defendant

[ShazzieB]

86. Well, he would certainly deserve it.

No argument there!

[bdamomma]

10. What if

Lawyer Blanche tells the orange thug he can find another lawyer what then????

[getagrip_already]

13. The judge wmight tell him to just suck it up and sit down

Not being paid is not a reason to fire your client.

If your client is trying to get you to break the law, or subjorn perjury, then it's your duty to tell the court.

What happens then is up to the court, but is going to happen to the client, not the lawyer.

[bdamomma]

12. Again

this is all that orange POS does is to bully people around. He is so fucking weak. Just imagine if he testifies???? He would perjure himself.

[Escurumbele]

31. That is actually the best strategy for Todd Blanche, to have trump testify, then he can get away from the nightmare

as trump is taken to the backroom called jail, it may be the one thing that saves Todd Blanche's career.

[NJCher]

53. same old same old from trump

as trump is taken to the backroom called jail,

That got a laugh on this end.

It's been said many times on this forum that trump is a "one-trick pony" and this latest development is further proof.

It is beyond his intellectual ability to understand there are different rules for different forums. He employs the same tactics in every arena, especially with interpersonal communication. Of course, can you blame him when so often he is deferred to after insulting a person like Bill Bahr and then having Bahr say he would still vote for him?

[TomSlick]

88. Rule 1 for criminal defense attorneys.

Whether or not your client goes to jail, make sure that at the end of the trial, you are sleeping at home and have a law license.

[gab13by13]

7. Alina will do it.

[unblock]

9. This could be epic:

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, and a few not so nice people on the jury as well, I know some of you are trump haters and horrible people, maybe you should be on trial instead of my client, but if you were fair an impartial you would know he's as innocent as a baby and pure as a snowflake!

[bdamomma]

15. I hope the

Jury is keeping score on all of this. The orange thug just hates this and to that I say good. He is not above the law, no one is.

[Escurumbele]

30. Please email that script to Todd Blanche, it is perfect, he should win the case with it.

[keithbvadu2]

82. Fred Sanford said someone was 'pure as the driven snow' but that depends on who is doing the driving.

[live love laugh]

14. He's the boss. Follow his instructions. Please. 🙏🏽

[malaise]

16. Smelvis is a dumb fuck

know it all.
Humiliate the fool.

[Lonestarblue]

17. I'm surprised Trump is awake long enough in court to know what Blanche is doing.

[aggiesal]

18. He's got a gag order to not attack witnesses, jurors & court workers ...

so now he wants his attorney to do his bidding.

Pendejo45 is a real piece of work.
What an @$$h0le.

[Irish_Dem]

22. Yes he can't do it now, so he is going to force his attorney to do it.

And he is getting angrier and angrier that his attorney won't do it.

[Botany]

32. I am not a lawyer but I am pretty sure the second Trump's lawyer breaks his gag order via his lawyer

… the Judge would smack him down in a heartbeat.

[hadEnuf]

40. Trump has never paid attention to the law.

He thinks politics outweighs the law. His BS has always been his only weapon.

[WestMichRad]

58. This!!

[RestoreAmerica2020]

61. Si..el corrupt criminale es un p@#@## p### y uno pendejo

..( pendejo: fucking moron) tambien! Es todo, that's all I have to say about IT, HIM! He gives me osco. 🤢 🤮 😡


Pero, buen dia y paz to you and DUers! 😊 ✌️🌻

[aggiesal]

79. How do you feel, when you shop at an OSCO grocery store? ...

I grew up with them, and always laughed when passing one, asking, "Don't they know what that means?"

[RestoreAmerica2020]

89. Hahaha! Buenas noches. 💤

[Irish_Dem]

19. "As every attorney knows, courtroom tactics 101 is to attack the judge."

Yep every law school class teaches the students to attack judges, make them your enemy,
and piss them off the minute you step into the courtroom.

Make sure you have no credibility with judges and make them see red when they look at you
and your client.

Threaten them and their families, bully and harass them.

Smart strategy, right?

[Escurumbele]

29. Many people say it is the best strategy.

[Prof. Toru Tanaka]

35. And with tears in their eyes, too!

[speak easy]

42. 'tears in their eyes', Yes, as they are taken to the slammer for Contempt of Court

[Irish_Dem]

36. And they say it with tears in their eyes.

[rampartc]

91. ".....tear in his eye and said, sir........"

does this guy know more than 1 story?

[Solomon]

54. You definitely don't want to piss off the judge in a non-jury trial. However, I did know a very successful older female

trial lawyer who was very good at getting the sympathy of the jury by making the judge annoyed and angry with her.

[Irish_Dem]

56. Yes but thisbwas a tricky strategy with risk.

And she is one of the few people who could pull it off.

[trusty elf]

20. uh-oh, tRump is "venting"? Out of which orifice?

[speak easy]

21. All of them :)

[Kennah]

49. Every Trump orifice is an anus

[cstanleytech]

23. Ya, attacking the judge would be essentially cutting his own throat.

[Johonny]

24. Credit Blanche for not doing stupid things

That will totally bias the jury against Trump. So far none of the witnesses were worth attacking. No crime has yet been revealed. Cohen will get attacked because he is open to them and a key witness to the actual crime.

[mahina]

25. He must be a real treat as a client

[Kennah]

50. Has the check cleared?

[Joinfortmill]

26. Rofl. Following Trump's orders ensures failure.

[TBF]

27. Would he be able to delay if he got new attorneys?

I could see him trying that as another delay. I think that is Trump's sole game plan - delay long enough to get to the election.

[PortTack]

34. Yes ....according to a former prosecutor interviewed on msnbc who once worked in that very district

[Prof. Toru Tanaka]

38. So Trump could just keep switching horses midstream and delay ad infinitum?

[PortTack]

87. I do know, but he can fire his attorney and that would delay things. That is his MO

[Prof. Toru Tanaka]

37. I was thinking the same thing.

Trump knows he’s guilty and his ship will be sunk if this trial plays out before November.

[Escurumbele]

28. Oh boy...Todd Blanche is starting to get hit by trump's unmidas touch, his career is going to suffer.

I don't understand how these people who want to get with trump don't see that everything and everyone trump touches goes to crap. Why can't people see what is so obvious?

[NanaCat]

77. Lawyer careers rarely suffer for representing odious people

Because every defence lawyer has to represent criminals, even the most heinous ones. It's part of the job.

With trial lawyers, people give them a break because every person accused deserves to have a lawyer representing them. Even the monsters of the world deserve that, be it TSF, Ted Bundy, Charles Manson, Timothy McVeigh, John Gotti, or, well, pick your terrible person. If they're in court, they're entitled to a lawyer, and someone has to do it. Just like doctors have to treat terrible people who get in car accidents.

I was at a luncheon with one of the attorneys that represented Manson. Nobody held it against him, despite how despicable the crime was. Because he did what he was trained and paid to do: Represent a criminal.

Legal representation for everyone accused of a crime is a bedrock principle of this country. We would be a lesser country if lawyers weren't required to represent the accused. In fact, we would probably be living in a totalitarian dictatorship.

[twodogsbarking]

33. At least he has him family to support him. They know him best.

[Turbineguy]

41. Trump will do anything to sabotage his trial.

[FakeNoose]

43. Next step, Chump will fire these lawyers ...

... after all, he's smarter than all of them combined, am I right?

[jcgoldie]

44. yes attack the jury... brilliant!

[MOMFUDSKI]

46. Hoping that Todd gets a face full of the

clown and walks. He has a great reputation and should not sully it over this crap.

[bmichaelh]

47. His attorneys are not Roy Cohn

He is harming his own defense.

As been mentioned before, he wants his attorneys to be like Roy Cohn.

[Ping Tung]

48. Did his lawyers sign a contract with dawn swearing to be martyrs for him?

Sounds like his lawyers need lawyers.

[Wednesdays]

55. Well, that's the new meaning for MAGA

"Make attorneys get attorneys."

[LetMyPeopleVote]

51. TFG is a fun client

It is no wonder that all of the top tier attorneys refused to represent TFG

[FredGarvin]

52. Theatrics

It's almost as if he is manipulating the US legal system.

[MorbidButterflyTat]

59. According to four people, huh.

"Mr. Trump wants him to attack witnesses, attack what the former president sees as a hostile jury pool, and attack the judge, Juan M. Merchan."

So how does a defense attorney "attack" the jury, judge and witnesses? With a machete? A baseball bat? In the courtroom, in the parking garage after hours, at their homes while they're in bed? Maybe whoever reported this could have actually asked some questions?

One stupid display in court and the judge will shut him down.

Blanche is gonna need some extra heavy duty Botox after spending weeks or months with that ridiculous perpetual scowl on his face.

Maybe that's his method of "attack:" try to look really super serious and mean.

Perry Mason he ain't.

[TBF]

60. I think I'd probably have a scowl on my face if I had to defend Trump -

Blanche has got to be regretting leaving that comfy big firm to defend this clown. Not the best choice ...

[Deuxcents]

62. TSF knows everything about anything and ya can't tell him nothing he doesn't already know

Just look at his résumé’s..all beautiful and perfect. But..he’s always moaning and bitchin’ about something…all blow and no go. I don’t think he’s gonna make it all the way thru this and it’s only the first one so it’s gonna get interesting. Maybe he’ll blow a gasket today

[Pas-de-Calais]

63. Doesn't Blanche know he isn't getting paid?

[RockRaven]

64. Yes! Let the hate flow through you, Donnie Dotard. And fire that

worthless loser of a lawyer! You don't need him!

[OverBurn]

65. He should just fire all his lawyers and represent himself. He's so much smarter than

all of them anyway. What could go wrong? It'll be a win, win, win.

[Torchlight]

69. Looks as though trump's being expertly played by the US legal system.

I'm guessing his congregants will see this as strength, genius, or some other meritless attribution, but it's gonna be a hard row to hoe making this look like anything other than a series of trump's failures on public display.

And to make matters better, his plan is to make them worse.

[ProfessorGAC]

70. And The Jury!

Does that come in the 102 class?
Gee, I know if I was on a jury I'd sure be prone to have sympathy toward a defendant whose team is attacking me!

[speak easy]

72. 'Does that come in the 102 class?' (Nah)

It's a private tuition course from John Gotti University.

[Kennah]

71. Fight! Fight! Fight!

Trump with a right cross.
A jab.
Another jab.
Bodyshot.
Blanche with a cross, jab, jab, jab. Good combo, great footwork.
Spinning back kick by Blanche catches Trump in the ribs. He's knocked down.
Blanche closes. Face shot, face shot, face shot.
Trump goes down! Trump goes down! Trump goes down!
Referee John McCarthy came out of retirement for this.
He's looking at Trump. He's OUT! Trump was Knocked Out!

[Kennah]

73. I'm working on a children's book of short, uplifting stories

[Marcuse]

74. Blanche should channel his inner Pacino.

[dmr]

90. Yea, I'd like to see this happen in TFG's trial.

Yup, it'd be fun --- for me, at least,

[Marcuse]

93. Me too. On the other hand he'd probably get a mistrial.

[Tactical Peek]

75. "As every attorney knows" . . . . Depends.

How many Supremes does the Pope judge have?

[brewens]

76. If Trump was anything like his followers are told to pretend, the best legal minds in the country would have

been fighting for that gig. Of course, not when he's flat assed, stone cold, lead pipe cinch guilty, but if he actually had a good case. The best legal guys wouldn't risk a loss.

We wouldn't have heard a word about legal fees either. His lawyers would always have paid off if he was the Trump they think he is. They would know they'd be taken care of.

[Owens]

80. He's laying the ground work for delaying the trial

He will fire the attorneys and demand time (at least till November) to hire new attorneys

[BWdem4life]

84. Ding. nt

[AdamGG]

83. He probably wants to be jailed for violating the gag order...

so he can claim it as part of his victim narrative. I hope they fine him A LOT more and maybe schedule another trial about it that he also is required to attend, but locking him up would be counterproductive and give him what he wants.

[Danascot]

92. Per Joyce Vance, a former U.S. attorney

"What happens if Trump fires his lawyers? This can be a difficult one because defendants are entitled to counsel of their choosing, and lawyers are entitled to sufficient time to prepare. But Trump has a lot of lawyers on his team and the Judge has to be prepared for this one. Trump would have to argue a significant issue has developed with his lawyers before the Judge would agree to let them out of the case, and it's going to be difficult to do that with all of them. The Judge could tell him to go ahead with the remaining lawyers, because if Trump does this at the eleventh hour, it's going to look manufactured. But it's still an issue the Judge has to be careful about to avoid problems on appeal, and so far, Judge Merchan has shown himself to be a careful, meticulous jurist."

https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-may-fire-legal-team-delay-trial-attorney-1885484