By CNN’s Kara Scannell, Lauren Del Valle and Jeremy Herb in the courthouse Cameras are not allowed inside the courtroom during proceedings. CNN reporters are providing the latest real-time updates live from the courthouse in the posts below. Todd Blanche asks Michael Cohen if he makes the nightly TikToks to earn money. Cohen answers, “Money is made from it, yes.” Blanche responds: “That’s not my question. One of the reasons you do it is to make money, yes or no? “Yes,” Cohen says. Trump is not reacting to any of the back-and-forth between Michael Cohen and defense attorney Todd Blanche, as he sits back in his chair with his eyes closed. Trump attorney Todd Blanche is asking Michael Cohen more questions about his TikTok account. “Out of seven nights a week, how many nights do you think you talk about President Trump?” he asks. “I only do it six days a week. I would say six days a week,” Cohen says. Trump attorney Todd Blanche went on to ask Michael Cohen about how active he is on social media platforms. “You also are active on Twitter, on X?” Blanche asked. “That’s correct,” Cohen said. Blanche then asked if he’s also active on TikTok. “Correct,” Cohen said. Cohen said he goes on TikTok an hour a night. Blanche asked what the goal is. Cohen said, “Build an audience, to create a community, to really vent because I have a difficult time sleeping so I found an outlet.” Blanche asked if he also made money on that platform. “It does make money, but it’s not significant,” Cohen said. Michael Cohen says he does each of his two podcasts twice per week, making it four per week. Cohen says he records the podcasts all year long. He confirms Donald Trump comes up in every podcast episode. “I would say he’s mentioned in every one, yes.” Michael Cohen is being questioned about being asked by the district attorney’s office to refrain from speaking about the case. “After the indictment, you have been warned repeatedly by the district attorney’s office to not talk about this case?” Blanche asks. “Yes,” Cohen says. Blanche asks what have they said. Blanche asks Cohen when he met with the DA’s office on several occasions. Cohen says they’d tell him directly, “Probably better off if you don’t speak about it.” Cohen puts the number of times they told him not to talk to the press about the case at fewer than five times. “And you have not followed their request or whatever word you want me to use?” Blanche asks. Cohen says, “That’s correct. I’m responding…” and Blanche cuts him off. From CNN’s Elise Hammond Trump defense lawyer Todd Blanche started attacking Michael Cohen right away in the first few questions of his cross-examination of the key witness. Blanche asked Cohen if he made a TikTok calling Blanche a “crying little sh*t” just before the trial began. Judge Juan Merchan struck that question, along with others, including one asking Cohen if he made comments about himself and Trump attorney Susan Necheles. CNN senior political analyst Gloria Borger added that the defense Is trying to say that “this is the real Michael Cohen.” “The Michael Cohen who has been on the stand before, full of remorse, a good guy, that’s not Michael Cohen,” she said. Pointing to the social media posts helps the defense argue to the jury that Cohen is out to get Trump and “that’s the guy you should understand did all these things and lied all these times and don’t feel sorry for him.” Trump attorney Todd Blanche is asking Michael Cohen: “Are you the one that leaked to CNN that you had given your phones to the DA earlier in January of 2023?” “I don’t recall,” Cohen responds. Todd Blanche is now asking about conversations Michael Cohen testified Monday he had with President Donald Trump in 2016. “You testified yesterday about very specific recollections that you have about telephone conversations you had with President Trump in 2016 – but you have no recollection that last month just over a year ago that you promised the district attorney that you would stop going on TV,” Blanche asks. “What I was saying to you, sir, I don’t recall even having these conversations with Lanny Davis about not going on television,” Cohen says. “I recall the conversations with President Trump at the time, yes,” Cohen says.
Michael Cohen testifies in Trump hush money trial
