A View from the Beach: Flotsam and Jetsam

Some interesting developments in the Alvin Bragg's Manhattan trial of Donald Trump for the egregious felonies of labeling payments to Michael Cohen, his lawyer at the time "legal expenses." One of Trump's current lawyers, Todd Blanche used text messages to show that a critical 90 second phone call made to Trump's bodyguard (and allegedly Trump) was not, in fact, regarding the Stormy Daniels matter, but rather a complaint about a teenager making crank calls to Cohen. Matt Margolis at PJM, Michael Cohen Gets Destroyed During Cross Examination, Leaving Anderson Cooper Stunned.

Anderson Cooper was left stunned by Trump's attorney's cross examination of Michael Cohen

"It was incredible...lawyers want to build a box around the witness & slam it shut--that's what Todd Blanche did to Cohen...it was an extraordinary cross...Cohen was cornered in...a lie" pic.twitter.com/WKnKCs8TkU
— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) May 16, 2024

Susie Moore at RedState, As Cohen Wobbles, Does the Case Against Trump Fall Down? (Trump Trial - Day 18). Dave Strom at Hat Hair, CNN Throws in the Towel on NY Trump Case. At Da Caller, Former Federal Prosecutor Testifies Michael Cohen Told Him He Had ‘Nothing Truthful’ Showing Trump’s Guilt. At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 05.16.24 (Evening Edition), Twitchy, Anderson Cooper Says Michael Cohen Was Cornered In What Appeared To Be A Lie. TNP, New Evidence Reveals Michael Cohen Admitting ‘I Swear to God, I Don’t Have Anything on Donald Trump.’ "In another moment, Costello recalled Cohen telling him that he had stood atop the roof of his hotel and contemplated suicide as he thought he couldn’t handle the pressure of the criminal case against him. Costello said he asked Cohen, “isn’t it easier to cooperate against Donald Trump, than it is to kill yourself?” Cohen’s former defense attorney said that his then client’s answer was the same: “I swear to God, Bob, I don’t have anything on Donald Trump.”" Althouse, "Michael Cohen’s voice sounded truly bizarre in that podcast clip celebrating Trump's indictment on March 30 last year. "

"Giddy, high-pitched, and he was speaking so fast that if you didn’t know better you’d think the tape had been artificially sped up. It also offered jurors a completely different version of the Cohen they are seeing on the witness stand, where he has remained calm and deliberate with every word. [Trump's lawyer] Todd Blanche plays a second clip of Michael Cohen from his podcast, in which he says he hopes 'that this man ends up in prison,' and 'revenge is a dish best served cold,' and 'you better believe I want this man to go down and rot inside for what he did to me and my family.' Cohen's New York accent — he is from the Five Towns, on Long Island — is very pronounced in the podcast clips...."

PJM's Vicky Taft reports Trump's Long-Time Nemesis Sends Love Notes to Michael Cohen During His Testimony, Rosie O'Donnell. Harold Hutchinson at Da Caller sees Sparks Fly When GOP Rep Calls Out Dan Goldman Over Possible ‘Conflict Of Interest’ In Trump Trial. He "prepped" (coached) Cohen. Paul Homewood of TWC writes of Trump and the trial without a crime. HE asks Is the Democrats’ lawfare a joke? If so, it's not funny.

"We would say that if a New York jury still finds Trump guilty after this freak show of a trial, then justice is truly dead in the state, but in truth, the case shouldn’t even get to the jury in the first place. President Trump’s lawyers have filed a motion to dismiss and acquit him, which Judge Juan Merchan – if he is a judge at all and not simply a partisan hack – should grant, given that the prosecutors themselves seem to have no idea what the crime is, and given that even DA Alvin Bragg wouldn’t have prosecuted this case, if not for a public pressure campaign orchestrated by former NY prosecutor Mark Pomerantz (yes, somehow, Alvin Bragg isn’t as bad as it gets)."

At the Free Bacon, Congress Launches Second Investigation Into Fani Willis's Alleged Misuse Of Federal Funds. Jason Cohen at Da Caller reports Republican Georgia Voters Tell MSNBC Trump’s Legal Issues Make Them ‘Support Him More’ From VodkaPundit at Insty, HE NEVER CHANGES: "Well, Bless Your Heart, Mitt Romney. “This is where I’d like to grab Romney by the lapel of his suitcoat, pull his face so close to mine I could see my reflection in his Brylcreem, and shout, ‘THE BIDEN WHITE HOUSE IS BEHIND ALL THIS, YOU PREENING NINNY.'”| And for some final amusement, from NYPo, Pro-Trump artist releases 100 penis-shaped balloons with faces of Alvin Bragg, Judge Merchan on them and Jack Smith. He needs to include Fani Willis.

Stacy McCain notices there's only Six Weeks Until First Debate "So we’re going to have a debate in June — more than four months before Election Day — and what happens if that doesn’t resurrect Biden’s poll numbers?" From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 05.16.24 (Afternoon Edition) Louder With Crowder, Joe Biden challenges Donald Trump to debate in a video that needs to be seen to be believed. At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 05.16.24 (Evening Edition) EBL wonders Is it a mistake for Trump to go to CNN to debate Biden? Breitbart, Joe Biden to Debate Donald Trump on CNN with Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, so expect 3 on 1. Can they handle it? "Biden’s preferred network, CNN, with sinking ratings, is known to push hoaxes, according to Breitbart News’s John Nolte’s list, “THIS IS CNN” . . ." Ace, Dana Bash and Jake Tapper (!!!!!) Will "Moderate" First Debate ?!?! "Oh. My. It is lunacy for Trump to have agreed to this! Madness!" Dan Oliver at Am Great says The Presidential Debate Saga Is Just Beginning "Biden’s terms were, of course, stacked for Biden—why are we not surprised? The most obviously disadvantageous term was that the moderator must be someone from the mainstream media." 'Becca Downs at TownHall hears Peter Doocy Has an Idea About Why Biden Is So Eager to Debate. "Does a person generally want to debate when they are winning or when they are losing?" At the Wash Month, The Biden Campaign Is Worried "The decision to propose two debates with Donald Trump is a clear sign the president’s reelection team knows it’s behind." Robby Soave at Reason, Biden and Trump Want a Presidential Debate Safe Space "Two debates, no RFK Jr.—not an improvement." Jazz Shaw at Hat wonders Is the Commission on Presidential Debates Toast? Probably, it was never to Republicans advantage anyway. Kim Strassel at WSJ sees A Hunter Biden Debate, Finally. "The president’s son will likely go on trial before the candidates meet on June 27."

At Am Great, the Great Victor Davis Hanson is concerned about The Biden Reelection Strategy "Bidenites believe they can reelect an unhealthy, unpopular, and unsuccessful president by any means necessary. And they may be right." PJM's Stephen Kruiser thinks The 'Biden-Hamas 2024' Campaign Isn't Doing So Well. TNP calls Biden ILLEGITIMATE: Majority Say Biden HAS LOST Consent of the Governed. Larry at Hat Hair notices a CNN Anchor Appears to Be Turning on Biden, Endorses Trump Policies, Fareed Zakaria. Jim Geraghty at NRO wonders Will Democrats Do Something . . . Unconventional This Summer? ‘It Would Be in the Best Interest of the Democratic Party to Forego the Convention This Year’ Capt. Ed at Hat Hair comments "Like Jim, I can't imagine a better way to underscore GOP criticisms of Biden and of progressive urban governments than to admit that Democrats can't safely hold a convention in Chicago. There is precisely zero chance that Dems will cancel it."

From Twitchy, Well, Well, Well, WHAT Do We Have HERE?! Biden Family Bank Accounts NEWLY Discovered Seem Shady AF. Patrick Webb @RealPatrickWebb "BREAKING: New bank accounts of the Biden family have been found which were used with the sole purpose of receiving money being laundered from China, Romania, and Russia as a result of the family’s influence peddling while Joe was Vice President, with over $240,000 in checks being directly wired to Joe Biden with no explanation of what services were provided in exchange for the payments." At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 05.16.24 (Evening Edition) Victory Girls say Hunter Biden Is About To Run Out Of Other People’s Money. Byron York @ByronYork "Hunter Biden's 'sugar brother' is running out of money. From
@politico . . " CNN reports Key House committees vote to advance contempt proceedings against Garland over Biden audio files and Biden claims executive privilege. We already have the transcripts; why would they hide the audio unless it makes him look a whole lot worse. Capt. Ed, "this is an absurd claim of executive privilege. The privilege exists to protect presidents from undue intrusions on discussions of policy formulation and other strategies connected to the duties of their office. A special counsel investigating criminal conduct of the president does not qualify as an adviser, and depositions on criminal allegations are not at all "advisory" in any sense." Dave Harsanyi at Da Fed, If Joe Biden Is ‘Sharp As Ever,’ Why Is He Trying To Suppress The Hur Audio? Objection! Asked, then answered! Ace, Biden Asserts Executive Privilege to Hide His Embarrassing Senility-Exposing Tapes of His Interview with Special Counsel Hur. ""Hur?" -- Michael Bluth. I can totally understand why Biden chose to hide these damning tapes. But then, I have the mind of a coward, and so I can understand the mind of another coward."