‘Morning Joe’ Panel Spends Nearly 8 Mins Trying to Downplay the Fact that Michael Cohen Was Caught Lying During Cross Examination

BRZEZINSKI Also with us ░░░░░░░░ have former litigator and ░░░░░░░░ legal correspondent Lisa Rubin ░░░░░░░░ are you holding up ░░░░░░░░ this trial RUBIN It ░░░░░░░░ a lot BRZEZINSKI All ░░░░░░░░ every day And MSNBC ░░░░░░░░ analyst Danny Cevallos Because ░░░░░░░░ also have to talk ░░░░░░░░ the criminal hush money ░░░░░░░░ with the former President ░░░░░░░░ Trump which we ll ░░░░░░░░ to now It potentially ░░░░░░░░ wrap up next week ░░░░░░░░ will find out from ░░░░░░░░ experts here The prosecution ░░░░░░░░ witness Michael Cohen is ░░░░░░░░ to return to the ░░░░░░░░ on Monday after Trump ░░░░░░░░ legal team tried to ░░░░░░░░ away at his credibility ░░░░░░░░ Court is in recess ░░░░░░░░ so the former president ░░░░░░░░ attend his son Baron ░░░░░░░░ high school graduation this ░░░░░░░░ Lead defense attorney Todd ░░░░░░░░ says Cohen s questioning ░░░░░░░░ likely wrap up on ░░░░░░░░ The prosecution has said ░░░░░░░░ does not plan to ░░░░░░░░ any additional witnesses and ░░░░░░░░ defense says it may ░░░░░░░░ call any either That ░░░░░░░░ closing arguments could begin ░░░░░░░░ early as Tuesday clearing ░░░░░░░░ way for jury deliberations ░░░░░░░░ the end of next ░░░░░░░░ Willie so we re ░░░░░░░░ now just at what ░░░░░░░░ yesterday GEIST Another day ░░░░░░░░ cross examination of Michael ░░░░░░░░ yesterday He testified he ░░░░░░░░ directly to former President ░░░░░░░░ on the phone about ░░░░░░░░ payments to Stormy Daniels ░░░░░░░░ asserted he contacted Trump ░░░░░░░░ Trump s bodyguard Keith ░░░░░░░░ on October 24th 2016 ░░░░░░░░ the hush money payments ░░░░░░░░ s about two weeks ░░░░░░░░ Election Day Defense attorney ░░░░░░░░ Blanche pressed Cohen about ░░░░░░░░ records showing he texted ░░░░░░░░ that day in which ░░░░░░░░ asked how to handle ░░░░░░░░ teenager who was prank ░░░░░░░░ him Cohen responded saying ░░░░░░░░ did not remember that ░░░░░░░░ Blanche said Do you ░░░░░░░░ texting Keith Schiller at ░░░░░░░░ 48 P M Who ░░░░░░░░ I speak to regarding ░░░░░░░░ calls to myself and ░░░░░░░░ The dope forgot to ░░░░░░░░ his call on one ░░░░░░░░ them You don t ░░░░░░░░ that Cohen responded It ░░░░░░░░ right yes Blanche then ░░░░░░░░ a return text to ░░░░░░░░ where Schiller simply says ░░░░░░░░ me Blanche then pointed ░░░░░░░░ Cohen called Schiller immediately ░░░░░░░░ for a conversation that ░░░░░░░░ only about a minute ░░░░░░░░ a half Blanche accused ░░░░░░░░ of lying suggesting he ░░░░░░░░ not speak to Trump ░░░░░░░░ that call about Stormy ░░░░░░░░ as he had testified ░░░░░░░░ however insisted both topics ░░░░░░░░ covered despite the short ░░░░░░░░ of the call The ░░░░░░░░ also attempted to paint ░░░░░░░░ as having a vendetta ░░░░░░░░ Trump Here is a ░░░░░░░░ of his podcast that ░░░░░░░░ played in court Clip ░░░░░░░░ COHEN I truly bleep ░░░░░░░░ this man ends up ░░░░░░░░ prison It won t ░░░░░░░░ back the year that ░░░░░░░░ lost or the damage ░░░░░░░░ to my family but ░░░░░░░░ is a dish best ░░░░░░░░ cold And you better ░░░░░░░░ I want this man ░░░░░░░░ go down and rot ░░░░░░░░ for what he did ░░░░░░░░ me and my family ░░░░░░░░ ends GEIST Okay Lisa ░░░░░░░░ you were down at ░░░░░░░░ courthouse again yesterday We ░░░░░░░░ talk about that podcast ░░░░░░░░ in just a second ░░░░░░░░ let s go back ░░░░░░░░ because it was a ░░░░░░░░ confusing maybe as you ░░░░░░░░ through it What was ░░░░░░░░ Blanche what was the ░░░░░░░░ defense team getting at ░░░░░░░░ that text and phone ░░░░░░░░ between Michael Cohen and ░░░░░░░░ bodyguard Keith Schiller RUBIN ░░░░░░░░ s talk about there ░░░░░░░░ a narrow implication and ░░░░░░░░ a much broader one ░░░░░░░░ that they were trying ░░░░░░░░ draw The first thing ░░░░░░░░ were trying to say ░░░░░░░░ that Cohen s testimony ░░░░░░░░ the phone call on ░░░░░░░░ 24th between him and ░░░░░░░░ Schiller which he testified ░░░░░░░░ really a call to ░░░░░░░░ about the Stormy Daniels ░░░░░░░░ wasn t true They ░░░░░░░░ him with text messages ░░░░░░░░ phone call records that ░░░░░░░░ t been part of ░░░░░░░░ direct examination and the ░░░░░░░░ was You manufactured this ░░░░░░░░ you said you talked ░░░░░░░░ Keith Schiller in order ░░░░░░░░ talk to Donald Trump ░░░░░░░░ finalizing the Stormy Daniels ░░░░░░░░ that didn t really ░░░░░░░░ did it You had ░░░░░░░░ minute and 30 second ░░░░░░░░ phone call with him ░░░░░░░░ juxtaposed with these texts ░░░░░░░░ the 14 year old ░░░░░░░░ was prank calling you ░░░░░░░░ the time It it ░░░░░░░░ pretty clear that you ░░░░░░░░ Keith Schiller to complain ░░░░░░░░ that to get Secret ░░░░░░░░ and security involved in ░░░░░░░░ harassing phone calls It ░░░░░░░░ nothing to do with ░░░░░░░░ Daniels That may or ░░░░░░░░ not be true It ░░░░░░░░ also true that two ░░░░░░░░ later on the 26th ░░░░░░░░ is indisputably calls between ░░░░░░░░ Cohen and Donald Trump ░░░░░░░░ I expect on redirect ░░░░░░░░ we will hear a ░░░░░░░░ from the prosecution about ░░░░░░░░ that Michael Cohen certainly ░░░░░░░░ Donald Trump and spoke ░░░░░░░░ him for some longer ░░░░░░░░ of time as he ░░░░░░░░ finalizing it But the ░░░░░░░░ implication that Todd Blanche ░░░░░░░░ trying to draw is ░░░░░░░░ you can t trust ░░░░░░░░ Cohen about this phone ░░░░░░░░ can you really trust ░░░░░░░░ of his testimony about ░░░░░░░░ conversations that he had ░░░░░░░░ Donald Trump at the ░░░░░░░░ After all this was ░░░░░░░░ eight years ago And ░░░░░░░░ t it really the ░░░░░░░░ that Michael Cohen s ░░░░░░░░ is not organic but ░░░░░░░░ rather the construction of ░░░░░░░░ prep sessions upon prep ░░░░░░░░ with prosecutors from the ░░░░░░░░ D A s office ░░░░░░░░ have constructed a memory ░░░░░░░░ Michael Cohen that didn ░░░░░░░░ organically exist about a ░░░░░░░░ that never happened and ░░░░░░░░ as well SCARBOROUGH You ░░░░░░░░ Danny I have expressed ░░░░░░░░ times skepticism about this ░░░░░░░░ even being brought I ░░░░░░░░ say though yesterday when ░░░░░░░░ were talking about how ░░░░░░░░ was like some Perry ░░░░░░░░ I m just like ░░░░░░░░ it s not A ░░░░░░░░ is not going to ░░░░░░░░ Oh my god eight ░░░░░░░░ ago a minute and ░░░░░░░░ half conversation I mean ░░░░░░░░ seems to me the ░░░░░░░░ bigger problem is the ░░░░░░░░ where he says I ░░░░░░░░ this guy to go ░░░░░░░░ I mean the prosecution ░░░░░░░░ going to be able ░░░░░░░░ clean this up on ░░░░░░░░ aren t they CEVALLOS ░░░░░░░░ agree but I think ░░░░░░░░ are in the minority ░░░░░░░░ vibe I ve been ░░░░░░░░ is that a lot ░░░░░░░░ folks feel like this ░░░░░░░░ that kind of Perry ░░░░░░░░ moment And to that ░░░░░░░░ say when it comes ░░░░░░░░ cooperating witness types like ░░░░░░░░ and Cohen if we ░░░░░░░░ a step back isn ░░░░░░░░ even close to the ░░░░░░░░ kind of cooperating witness ░░░░░░░░ normally have on the ░░░░░░░░ These are hardened criminals ░░░░░░░░ This is not Cohen ░░░░░░░░ the prosecution knows that ░░░░░░░░ s going to get ░░░░░░░░ on things especially because ░░░░░░░░ lot of these allegations ░░░░░░░░ eight years ago Juries ░░░░░░░░ forgive memory lapses from ░░░░░░░░ long ago SCARBOROUGH Of ░░░░░░░░ CEVALLOS So I wasn ░░░░░░░░ in the courtroom but ░░░░░░░░ what I could see ░░░░░░░░ think this is something ░░░░░░░░ one of two things ░░░░░░░░ happen either the prosecution ░░░░░░░░ choose to clean it ░░░░░░░░ on redirect or Joe ░░░░░░░░ may not even think ░░░░░░░░ s that big a ░░░░░░░░ They may go for ░░░░░░░░ better moment which is ░░░░░░░░ stand up and say ░░░░░░░░ re good we have ░░░░░░░░ further questions for this ░░░░░░░░ I just didn t ░░░░░░░░ it was that damaging ░░░░░░░░ the prosecution is going ░░░░░░░░ concede essentially and they ░░░░░░░░ throughout the case Cohen ░░░░░░░░ flaky Cohen is a ░░░░░░░░ that isn t the ░░░░░░░░ reliable person but he ░░░░░░░░ believable on these issues ░░░░░░░░ know I ve been ░░░░░░░░ of this before myself ░░░░░░░░ cases where you find ░░░░░░░░ factual inconsistency and you ░░░░░░░░ hammer it and you ░░░░░░░░ it s going to ░░░░░░░░ that Perry Mason moment ░░░░░░░░ if you hammer it ░░░░░░░░ much it looks a ░░░░░░░░ petty to the jury ░░░░░░░░ it s hard to ░░░░░░░░ what the jurors are ░░░░░░░░ It just didn t ░░░░░░░░ me as something that ░░░░░░░░ fatal to the prosecution ░░░░░░░░ knew that Cohen was ░░░░░░░░ to get hit with ░░░░░░░░ inconsistencies on cross examination ░░░░░░░░ don t think it ░░░░░░░░ as a surprise to ░░░░░░░░ prosecution and I really ░░░░░░░░ t think even the ░░░░░░░░ thinks that that they ░░░░░░░░ completely dumped on the ░░░░░░░░ s case LEMIRE So ░░░░░░░░ if you were there ░░░░░░░░ would you have handled ░░░░░░░░ moment with Cohen What ░░░░░░░░ be the plan And ░░░░░░░░ Cohen is done we ░░░░░░░░ be out of witnesses ░░░░░░░░ Donald Trump is called ░░░░░░░░ the stand ROSENBERG So ░░░░░░░░ preliminarily I agree with ░░░░░░░░ and Danny Perry Mason ░░░░░░░░ happen on Perry Mason ░░░░░░░░ don t tend to ░░░░░░░░ in courtrooms It would ░░░░░░░░ extraordinarily rare Second I ░░░░░░░░ agree with Danny that ░░░░░░░░ the government cleans it ░░░░░░░░ or ignores it I ░░░░░░░░ cross examination of Mr ░░░░░░░░ lasted what 17 and ░░░░░░░░ half years and at ░░░░░░░░ end of that this ░░░░░░░░ what we re left ░░░░░░░░ that there was a ░░░░░░░░ about a phone call ░░░░░░░░ years ago Great He ░░░░░░░░ probably wrong but was ░░░░░░░░ intentionally wrong If he ░░░░░░░░ intentionally wrong that s ░░░░░░░░ problem.”