Staunch Biden defender and Congressman Dan Goldman (D-NY) made a surprising admission on MSNBC, revealing his involvement in preparing Michael Cohen for his testimony against former President Donald Trump. This revelation has been seized upon by Trump supporters as further evidence of what they perceive as a politically motivated criminal trial.
During an appearance on “Morning Joe,” Goldman disclosed, “I have deposed Michael Cohen. I have met with him a number of times to prepare him.” The New York Democrat also commented on the challenges faced by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg in proving that Cohen’s payment to Stormy Daniels was made with Trump’s full awareness and approval. Goldman expressed skepticism about the prosecution’s ability to demonstrate Trump’s knowledge of Cohen’s actions, acknowledging the difficulty of the defense strategy given Cohen’s history as an admitted perjurer.
Trump ally Alex Bruesewitz highlighted the clip of Goldman’s remarks, characterizing them as “more proof” of what he sees as a “Biden White House orchestrated plot to interfere with the 2024 election.” Bruesewitz’s comments reflect the sentiment among Trump’s supporters that the trial is politically motivated to damage Trump’s prospects in future elections.
Since his conviction for lying to Congress and subsequent release from prison in 2021, Cohen has positioned himself as a vocal critic of his former boss, Trump, providing numerous media interviews about the inner workings of the 2016 Trump campaign. In Monday’s testimony, Cohen disclosed details of his collaboration with former National Enquirer editor David Pecker to suppress negative stories that could have harmed Trump’s election chances.
Rep. Goldman says he met with Michael Cohen “a number of times to prepare him”
Why is a Democrat Congressman preparing Michael Cohen? pic.twitter.com/jT3kBf97oY
— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) May 14, 2024
While Rep. Goldman praised prosecutors for strategically placing Cohen’s testimony toward the end of the trial, acknowledging its potential to corroborate other witnesses, he also cautioned about the risks associated with relying on Cohen’s credibility. Goldman emphasized Cohen’s status as an admitted perjurer and highlighted the potential vulnerabilities in his testimony under cross-examination by Trump’s defense team.
Former Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill echoed Goldman’s sentiments, noting the lack of “strong evidence” thus far linking Trump directly to the payments made to Daniels. McCaskill emphasized the importance of proving that Trump was fully aware of the fraudulent nature of the payments, highlighting the significance of circumstantial evidence in the absence of direct proof.
Overall, Goldman’s admission underscores the political overtones of the trial and the challenges facing prosecutors as they seek to establish Trump’s culpability in the hush money payments to Daniels. As the trial progresses, the credibility of witnesses like Cohen and the strength of the evidence presented will continue to be scrutinized by both sides.
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