Opening statements completed at Trump's NYC hush money trial
Published in News & Features
“It was election fraud, plain and simple.”
The defense followed with its opening statement.
“Spoiler alert: There’s nothing wrong with trying to influence the election. It’s called democracy,” Blanche argued.
Blanche laid out the defense’s case for Trump’s innocence, emphasizing that the burden of proof is on prosecutors, and telling the jury: “He’s also a man. He’s a husband. He’s a father. And he’s a person, just like you and me.”
The story is “not as simple as the people just described,” Blanche said, saying that Trump had “nothing to do” with the stack of checks and paperwork that represents the 34 felony counts.
Trump was attentive, looking at Blanche as he spoke, unlike Colangelo.
Blanche undercut expected star witness Cohen, calling him a liar and convicted perjurer, who’s “obsessed with Trump” and wants to see him locked up.
“I submit to you he cannot be trusted,” Blanche said.
Blanche finished by saying there’s nothing illegal about Trump, Cohen and Pecker’s scheme, using the term “catch and kill” in a mocking tone.
“The people use the word conspiracy,” he said. “You will see that there are 34 counts in this indictment. Conspiracy is not one of them.”
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