Former U.S. Attorney and Constitutional Law professor Harry Litman is attending the criminal trial of former President Donald Trump in Manhattan, where he faces 34 felony counts for allegedly falsifying business documents to cover up payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 presidential election.
Daniels testified on Tuesday and was cross-examined by Trump’s legal team today.
During the morning break, Litman wrote of Trump’s attorney Susan Necheles: “In general, I think Necheles has scored a few small points but she has had a number of bad moments and the general suggestion that a porn star can’t be scared of a billionaire with bodyguard is a misstep.”
MORNING BREAK.
in general, I think Necheles has scored a few small points but she has had a number of bad moments and the general suggestion that a porn star can’t be scared of a billionaire with bodyguard is a misstep.
— Harry Litman (@harrylitman) May 9, 2024
NBC News legal correspondent Laura Jarrett agreed with Litman and wrote: “Could write an entire thesis on this cross-exam of Stormy Daniels. We’ve heard Daniels couldn’t have been intimidated by Trump b/c she worked in porn/was good at making up ‘phony stories’ about sex. It’s a stark throwback to an earlier, pre-‘Me Too’ time and the day is not done.”
Could write an entire thesis on this cross-exam of Stormy Daniels. We’ve heard Daniels couldn’t have been intimidated by Trump b/c she worked in porn/was good at making up “phony stories” about sex. It’s a stark throwback to an earlier, pre-“Me Too” time and the day is not done.
— Laura Jarrett (@LauraAJarrett) May 9, 2024
In the afternoon session, when Necheles tried to play a recording between former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen and Daniels’s lawyer Keith Davidson (who negotiated the hush money payments for Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal), Judge Juan Merchan told her to stop the tape. Necheles said the wrong audio was played by mistake.
Litman wrote: “Objection. sustained. tape stopped. Necheles knows the record very well but continues to take risks–going for broke on disputed characterization of evidence– and losing more than she’s winning, plus her rhythm continually interrupted. Turns out she had wrong tape.”