It’s Literally Worse Than You Think It Is

Experts can give their opinion based on their assessment of the FACTS.

Trump wanted to call an expert to give his opinion about the LAW.

That’s not allowed. pic.twitter.com/Ce9ukpwKTV

— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) May 20, 2024

No, as Ron makes clear, that’s not a thing. But Trump coerced his lawyers (who surely knew better) into arguing for it anyway. Be that as it may, that’s not the point he thinks it is. Especially after this happened:

Here is what Merchan said to Costello after he cleared the courtroom, per transcript:

"Your conduct is contemptuous right now. I'm putting you on notice that your conduct is contemptuous. If you try to stare me down one more time, I will remove you from the stand."

— erica orden (@eorden) May 21, 2024

Merchan also threatened to strike Costello's entire testimony.

— erica orden (@eorden) May 21, 2024

How much worse could Costello be? Bad enough to be the “star witness” Trump wanted him to be. Think of this as that Perry Mason moment Trump kept looking for. Except Trump’s lawyers are not Perry Mason. And the moment is not his salvation.

I mean (and I never use this language except in extremis): Jesus Fucking Christ.

Haberman: Costello was stepping on himself. It wasn't just the objections. He at one point, the prosecutor was asking a question and he spat out ‘speak into the mic’ and the jurors, two of them looked at each other when he did that. pic.twitter.com/UROCWq4qtu

— Acyn (@Acyn) May 21, 2024

And Eli Honig can absolutely suck it.

Agnifilo: The biggest thing that landed today is the prosecution blew the one point the defense landed against Michael Cohen out of the water pic.twitter.com/CEkefMtNEi

— Acyn (@Acyn) May 20, 2024

Speaking of Honig, I’m completely through with him:

Honig argued that while Merchan may initially appeared to have countered Trump's legal team, in truth the Manhattan criminal court judge had done them a service. "The judge did the defense a bit of a favor," Honig said. "He get got the jury out of there real quick."

No, Merchan saved himself a swift and severe reversal 

for irreparably prejudicing Trump’s defense by dressing down Costello in front of the jury. If Honig doesn’t understand that, he’s worse than useless.

I also still continue to wonder what it takes to be “respected” in these circles:

They were rolling their eyes, they were pursing their lips, they were shaking their heads," Eisen said. "The irony [was]...will Michael Cohen kept his cool for an entire week. Bob Costello, a long-respected attorney blew up the entire courtroom."

Costello is an old and long-standing associate of Giuliani. He, too, was “respected.” Whatever those circles are, I’m truly glad I never ran in them.

And then Trump made us all forget the entire cross examination of Cohen. 

He is a very stable genius and the smartest man in the room. Ask him; he’ll tell you.