Cohen could jeopardize his credibility as a witness, experts say. Photo: Stefan Jeremiah/AP
Key Witness in Donald's Case Trump's money trial features nightly TikTok streams in which he rants about how the former president «belongs in a f—king cage like an animal.»< /p>
Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer and fixer who is now at the center of a courtroom showdown, risks jeopardizing the case ahead of his expected testimony, legal experts warn.
Trump 2024? More like Trump 20-24,” Mr. Cohen told thousands of people who watched his livestream recently.
While waiting for his turn to speak, Mr. Cohen broadcast live almost every night at video sharing app. TikTok, discussing Trump and the ongoing “hush money” trial.
“The other day Donald again… comes out of the courtroom and goes straight into that little cage where he belongs, in a damn cage, like an animal,” he said.
In 2018, Cohen defected from a trusted ally to testify on some of Trump's most scandalous allegations.
The list includes his alleged inflating of the Trump Organization's real estate portfolio to obtain bank loans and organize «hush money.» payments during the run-up to the 2016 election to women who claimed they had affairs with him and colluded with Russia.
One video posted to Mr. Cohen's TikTok account shows a cartoon of to which Mr. Trump is posting bail. “Do we take rubles?” Cartoon of Trump asking officials handling court payments.
Cohen claims he arranged payments on behalf of the former president to porn star Stormy Daniels in exchange for her silence about her allegations. affair with Mr. Trump. That statement prompted Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to charge Trump with 34 counts of first-degree falsification of business records.
Cohen's testimony is an important part of Bragg's case.
He told jurors in 2016 that he worked with Trump to pay out payments to at least two women in 2016 to protect his public image during the presidential campaign.
“The problem of reliability”
«Cohen's videos and comments pose a challenge to his credibility as a witness and are therefore a challenge to the prosecution,» Professor David Schultz of the University of Minnesota Law School told The Telegraph.
“His comments will raise questions about his motives for testifying and whether his testimony is truthful, motivated by profit or for other reasons.”
Professor Schultz added: “Normally a witness would not do this and the prosecution would ask the person not to talk about the case.
“But questions can now be asked whether Cohen is trying to unduly influence the case or whether this is contributing to the carnival atmosphere that feeds the Trump narrative that this is all political. Cohen's conduct poses the risk of litigation or grounds for appeal.»
Cohen, who pleaded guilty to tax evasion and violating campaign finance laws in 2018, has developed a dedicated anti-Trump fan base. Nearly 300,000 users now follow Cohen on TikTok, and viewers can regularly send him donations.
At 10:00 pm EST, the nightly «Michael Cohen Live Show» takes place when he invites fans, impressionists and comedians to contribute.
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Ahead of Trump's trial, Cohen's late-night streams made him the 25th most popular streamer on TikTok.
At least one of those shows, in which he vacillated between personal attacks and making hearts with his hands, racked up millions of likes.
“Join me under the big top tonight at 10:00 pm ET for the circus, whichever one you want. don’t want to miss,” he wrote in a text overlaying the video while a computer-generated cowboy hat sat on his head.
Trump impersonator appears on live television
Before the trial, Cohen also live-streamed with another user TikTok, which gained followers by impersonating Trump.
“I’ll go to jail and everything will be fine,” said a user known as ZPAC. “And I'm going to do it in your honor, quite frankly.”
This week, Cohen also delved into how he saw the trial play out following testimony from David Pecker, the former publisher of the National Enquirer.< /p>
Mr. Pecker testified that in the run-up to the 2016 election, he caught and destroyed stories that portrayed Mr. Trump in a negative light, as part of an agreement between him, Mr. Trump and Mr. Cohen.
< p>“From everything I've heard from people today, David Pecker basically confirms what I've been saying for six years,” Cohen said during the livestream.
“If I testify, and they will confirm it Well, the circle begins to close.”
And on Tuesday evening, Cohen, wearing a computer-generated knight's helmet, said: “I will go there with my helmet, spear and weapon. I will sit on the witness stand and just tell the truth.”
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