Cohen’s Social Media Criticism Raises Concerns Ahead of Trial Testimony
As the criminal trial against former President Donald Trump continues, his former lawyer and close associate, Michael Cohen, has been scrutinized for his recent social media comments criticizing Trump.
Cohen is set to testify in the high-profile trial, where Trump faces charges of falsifying business records related to payments allegedly made to adult film star Stormy Daniels to keep an alleged affair secret before the 2016 election.
Legal analysts have raised concerns about Cohen’s comments on the social media platform X, where he criticized Trump and his ongoing attacks on Cohen. Some experts argue that such statements could potentially damage Cohen’s credibility as a witness in the case.
“As a prosecutor, this isn’t something you want to see one of your witnesses doing,” said Joyce Vance, a former U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Alabama.
Former U.S. attorney and legal analyst Barbara McQuade echoed Vance’s concerns, warning that Cohen’s comments could be subject to cross-examination during the trial.
However, some legal experts believe that Cohen’s latest comments may have limited impact on the case, given his previously negative statements about Trump.
“Cohen, however, has already said plenty of negative stuff about his former boss, so I don’t think this latest post will matter too much,” said Dave Aronberg, the state attorney for Florida’s Palm Beach County.
Meanwhile, speculation continues over whether Trump himself will testify in the trial. Former assistant U.S. attorney David Katz suggested that Trump may take the stand in a Hail Mary move if he believes the trial is going poorly for him.
“He’s trying to thread the needle where he doesn’t infuriate the jury and he somehow appeals to them,” said Katz. “He is going to try to charm the jury, he may even testify. If [the trial] goes in pretty well and the trial otherwise goes poorly for him he might just Hail Mary take the stand.”
