Donald Trump’s onetime fixer Michael Cohen takes the stand again Thursday in the hush-money trial of his old boss. In this interview, Andrew Weissmann, a law professor and former prosecutor, argues that Mr. Trump’s lawyers are dropping the ball in building an alternative narrative.
Below is a lightly edited transcript of the audio piece. To listen to this piece, click the play button below.
A Former Prosecutor on the ‘Incredibly Strong Case’ Against Trump
How Michael Cohen’s testimony could affect the outcome of the former president’s trial.
Patrick Healy: I’m Patrick Healy, deputy editor of New York Times Opinion, and it’s no surprise that the story I’m paying attention to the most this week is Trump’s trial in Manhattan.
And like everyone else, I’m trying to read the tea leaves on whether this will be the first jury to convict an American president. But I’m also curious about what will come after. We know that in the presidential race, some swing voters could be swayed by a Trump conviction. So this trial may play an influential role in the election this November.
And what I want to know at this point in the trial is, how effective has the prosecution been? And what will and what should Trump’s defense do next?
