Michael Cohen admits to lying under oath and calling former President Trump ‘dumbass Donald’

MANHATTAN, NEW YORK: Michael Cohen, former lawyer to ex-President Donald Trump, returned to the witness stand in hush money trial for further cross-examination on Thursday, May 16.

Cohen, who initially took the stand on Monday, has been facing intense scrutiny from defense attorneys since Tuesday seeking to establish his bias against Trump and question his truthfulness

Donald Trump's defense plays Michael Cohen’s controversial remarks on ‘Mea Culpa’ podcast in court

In the courtroom, snippets from Cohen’s October 23, 2020 ‘Mea Culpa’ podcast were played in court.

In the podcast, Cohen expressed his desire for Trump to end up in prison for his actions against Cohen and his family.

“I truly f*****g hope this man ends up in prison,” he stated in the podcast, and “But revenge is a dish best served cold and you better believe I want this man to go down and rot inside for what he did to my family.”

He admitted to the defense calling Trump “Dumbass Donald” on his podcast, a fact confirmed during the cross-examination by Trump’s lawyer, Todd Blanche.

"That’s right," he answered after Blanche asked him, "You called him 'Dumbass Donald,' is that right?" New York Post reported. 

Michael Cohen accepted he had 'mental excitement' about Donald Trump's hush money trial  

Blanche also questioned Cohen about a TikTok video posted on April 21, 2024, just before the opening statements in the hush money trial.

Trump's lawyer said Cohen expressed “mental excitement” about the start of the trial despite the paralegal monitoring his social media.

"That didn't stop you, did it?" Blanche asked. Cohen confirmed that this did not deter him, stating, “No, sir," reported CNN.

Michael Cohen admitted to lying under oath

Cohen has previously faced perjury charges for lying to Congress in 2018 about work he did on an aborted project to build a Trump Tower in Russia.

In his admission, Cohen confirmed that he had lied under oath answering, "Yes, sir."

When asked by Blanche whether lying under oath was a form of accepting responsibility, Cohen responded, "I accepted responsibility, and I am suffering the consequences as a result.”

He also confirmed that the outcome of the trial would personally affect him, stating, “Yes.” 

Internet reacts to Michael Cohen's testimony as he's cross-examined 

Netizens have mixed responses over Cohen's cross-examination and acceptance that he lied under oath to Congress as they try to frame him as an untrustworthy witness.  

"Yes he is a liar but he has checks signed by Trump and text that back up everything he has said," wrote one on X.

"No crime was committed, no criminal act has been proven. This fiasco is no trial, it’s a Democrat smear campaign designed to humiliate and discredit President Trump," wrote one more. 

"He learned from the orange peanut himself," one more wrote, "Thanks for playing podcast clips and quoting Michael Cohen. I’m sure the jurors are thoroughly entertained," quipped another.

"Trump didn’t falsify records Michael Cohen did", stated one.

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