Blanche coming on

May 16, 2024, 11:03 a.m. ET


Jonathan SwanReporting from inside the courthouse

Todd Blanche is now demonstrating for the jury that Michael Cohen lied under oath for different reasons. By his own admission, it wasn’t only to demonstrate his loyalty to Trump. He lied also, Cohen admits, because the stakes affected him personally.

That admission could cause some problems for the prosecution. Blanche has already shown vividly through Cohen's podcast clips that this case affects Cohen in a deeply personal way and that he’s desperate for revenge against Trump. This may cause jurors to wonder whether Cohen might be willing to stretch the truth to get it.