Michael Cohen takes the stand in the Stormy Daniels case: a double-edged sword for Trump and prosecutors

Michael Cohen, former advisor to Donald Trump and now district attorney Alvin Bragg's star witness against him, takes the stand. A double-edged sword, whose anticipated speech may be key to the outcome of the process... towards either side in the fray. On the one hand, the prosecution hopes that his testimony will undoubtedly demonstrate the former president's involvement in the crimes of which he is accused, but, on the other, Cohen's credibility is seriously in question, especially after he testified under oath the opposite of what he defends now. Furthermore, several pieces of evidence that appeared before the trial reinforce the image of a "serial liar" or "convicted liar" with which the magnate nicknames him.

Part of the Russian roulette of his testimony lies in Cohen's own personality, as capable of presenting himself as someone extremely polite and charming as he is prone to outbursts of anger and verbal incontinence. Despite warnings from prosecutors and complaints from Trump's lawyers, Cohen has not stopped mocking the former president throughout the trial, even uploading on his TikTok, a video of him wearing a t-shirt with a photo of the tycoon behind bars, prompting a protest from the defense and the prosecution's acknowledgment that they are not able to control it. Several legal experts pointed out that the former advisor's videos and comments are weakening the position of Bragg and his side.

Gag order against Trump, freedom to insult Cohen

Even Judge Juan Merchán himself, who has refused to impose a gag order on Cohen, similar to the one on Trump, was forced to warn the former advisor's lawyers that their client should not talk about the trial, following complaints from the defense about him and his latest publications and statements. The former presidents' lawyers have also denounced the judge's double standards when it came to silencing the participants in the case.

In fact, Trump's lawyers are taking advantage of the messages that the former advisor is sending to present him as a disgruntled former employee who is trying to harm his former boss. Furthermore, they are highlighting that Cohen was a person hired to solve problems but that, in reality, what he did was generate more and aggravate those that already existed. As part of the defense strategy, the former president's lawyers invited the same witnesses that prosecutors used to confirm Cohen's version to present him as "a bully," "a nervous wreck" and, as one person said, according to comments picked up by The New York Times, a "jerk."