Donald Trump's current criminal trial lawyer had a "giddy" demeanor when he asked a magazine writer, "How did I do?" But lawyer Todd Blanche may not be ready for the "complicated" answer.
Andrew Rice, a features writer at New York Magazine, on Sunday published a piece in which he mentions the recent interaction with Blanche. Blanche has notably been defending Trump in the criminal hush money cover-up case, and has been told by the judge that he's losing his "credibility" before him.
"After Donald Trump’s criminal trial adjourned on Thursday afternoon, I was standing on a corner near City Hall, comparing notes with another journalist who was in the courtroom. I looked up, and there was Todd Blanche, Trump’s lawyer, walking back to the defense team’s war room after a day spent cross-examining the prosecution’s key witness, Michael Cohen. Blanche, who I profiled for New York cover story in April, looked exhausted and giddy, like he was running on adrenaline. I shouted 'Hi,' and he replied with a grin, 'How do you think I did?'" Rice reported over the weekend. "My answer is complicated."
ALSO READ: Delay, delay: Lauren Boebert keeping personal finances secret until after GOP primary
Rice first underscores all the mistakes Blanche and his legal team have made, including those likely resulting from Trump influencing his attorneys.
"There are two Trump trials that are going on simultaneously at the courthouse at 100 Centre Street. One, you’ve probably heard all about, because it’s a political circus. Judge Juan Merchan has held Trump in contempt ten times for violating a gag order in his public statements attacking the 'sham.' He has threatened to throw Trump in jail, and has scolded Blanche, saying he was 'losing all credibility' when he contended his client was trying to stay within the order’s bounds," the journalist wrote. "Trump has reportedly been frustrated with Blanche’s refusal to brawl with the judge — a fight no lawyer can win — and has tried to compensate by summoning MAGA bomb throwers (J.D. Vance, Vivek Ramaswamy, Matt Gaetz, etc.)"
However, Rice says, a lot of that happened outside the presence of the jury. In front of the jury, Blanche has performed decently, according to Rice.
"I seem to be in the minority in the gallery, but I think that when it comes to what is happening in this inside trial — the one unfolding in front of the jury — Blanche and the defense have done about as well as could be expected," he wrote Sunday. "Let’s not forget that they represent the world’s worst client. Trump once boasted at a rally that he possesses a 'PhD in litigation,' the rare claim of his that is scarcely an exaggeration, and in previous trials he has displayed a tendency to micromanage his attorneys."
