Opening statements in the first-ever criminal trial of a former President kicked off Monday morning with prosecutors accusing Trump of “election fraud” as the defense asked jurors to take a jaundiced view of the case.
It partly involved prosecutors taking allegations long flung by Trump and flipping them on him, suggesting that they were in fact the products of the sordid world which Trump has inhabited. That included Colangelo suggesting that Trump created fake news via his relationship with the “checkbook journalism” produced at National Enquirer, and that the hush money effort was “election fraud, pure and simple.”
It’s an old story, but Colangelo told it in a new way: he centered it both the release of the Access Hollywood tape and Trump’s own alleged complicity.
This is crucial.
Thanks again, Josh, for being there and for your reporting.
“Spoiler alert,” he said. “There’s nothing wrong with trying to influence an election. It’s called democracy.”
Mind-blowing… they weren’t trying to ‘influence’ an election; they were stealing it.
Trump is using a mob boss defense. “Hey, what’s the problem here? Paying protection is just business as usual. That is all the boss was doing, he was paying to have his reputation protected. So he paid some money and didn’t disclose it on his election forms so nobody found out. Nobody was harned.” Have you thought just how pernicious Trump’s defense really is.
Cohen’s “entire financial livelihood depends on President Trump’s destruction.”
Actually if trump was “destroyed” Michael Cohen would have nothing to talk about.
“There’s nothing wrong with trying to influence an election. It’s called democracy.”
Except when that influence is done illegally.
Ok, so I’m on trial for trafficking cocaine and should get off these charges because everybody is exhausted with my murder indictment and that bank heist. This is all just a waste of time.
What do you think Jury? Amirite?
Somehow the appeal to “common sense” and “business as usual” does not strike me as a brilliant defense despite everyone praising Blanche. He’s just echoing what Trump has been trying to argue from day one --“That nothing I do is criminal, ever. Just business. As usual.” Recall when he extended that to shooting someone on 5th Avenue…
Business as usual, true for Trump but running the country and being it’s leader calls for more than “business as usual”
The ‘its just Trump being Trump’ has worked well with Republicans who consistently have to look beyond his crimes and transgressions so they can keep their angry white men happy. We’ll see if that trope translates to the courtroom. Logic would say not, but you never know with the orange Julius Caesar.
x 
The Defendant’s “salt of the earth” rural bible-beaters would, of course, be appalled at the idea that this is how business (bidness?) is conducted. But I suspect they’re more than open to the idea that this is how it works in the Sin City of Noo Yawk, Noo Yawk, criminal hotbed and most dangerous place on earth, where everybody is some kind of gangster or shyster or common thief.
All evidence to the contrary, of course.
I sure hope the prosecution isn’t wasting our time. That said, I’d like to think that “Be cynical” is not a winning narrative.
But if you break the law trying to influence the election, then there is certainly something wrong with that. Why is that so hard to understand?
“Business as usual.” Yes. Who amongst us has not etc etc etc etc etc. Good luck with that pal. I expect the prosecutors to make you eat those words, and not just once.
And then. “Come on. We’re all New Yorkers here.” As the entire world knows, all New Yorkers betray their wives and children for quickies with porn stars and then pay the porn stars to keep quiet about it.
Sounds pretty tone deaf. That is, business as usual for Trump.
The in-kind benefit of Peckers rag must have been huge.
“So what?!? We sent out a bunch of guys to shoot anyone walking into a polling station who looked like they might vote for Hillary Clinton. You mean a guy can’t influence an election anymore? Gimme a break.”
Todd Blanche:
Well sometimes it’s called targeted Russian propaganda on Facebook and elsewhere.
Speaking to reporters in the courtroom hallway after court concluded, Trump said Cohen’s crimes have “nothing to do with me."
“He got in trouble, he went to jail. This has nothing to do with me,” said Trump. “This had to do with the taxicab company that he owned, which is just something he owned — and medallions and borrowing money.”
Shortly after those comments. Cohen posted on social media, “Hey Von ShitzInPantz … your attacks of me stink of desperation. We are all hoping that you take the stand in your defense.
That sort of makes my day. Wow, as a power couple, Donnie and Michael are so over.