Former President Donald Trump's courtroom "gambit" to put Robert Costello on the witness stand in his criminal hush money trial did not impress the attorney for the prosecution's star witness Michael Cohen, she said in an interview Tuesday night.
Cohen's lawyer Danya Perry appeared on the cable news network to discuss with anchor Kaitlan Collins two chaotic days in court the saw Justice Juan Merchan clear the court so he could criticize Costello.
"I thought it was just a strange gambit and I certainly thought it backfired," Perry told Collins. "It bolstered Michael's testimony that he 'never trusted this guy' and I think the jury saw in full force why he didn't."
Costello, Cohen's former legal advisor, was brought in by Trump's legal time to poke holes in the former fixer's testimony — which centered on hush money payments paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election — but instead made headlines himself, legal experts contend.
On Tuesday, Perry told CNN viewers she felt her client did better on the witness stand than Costello had.
"It sounds like he was asked a very simple, basic question and he answered," Perry said. "And then that was immediately dispelled on cross-examination."
Costello's testimony included the assertion that Cohen told him Trump “knew nothing” about the $130,000 hush money payment to Daniels, as is contended by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records.
Collins noted viewers were surprised by how calm Cohen appeared in comparison to Costello. Perry said she told her client to maintain his composure and rely on the facts.
"He had a couple of advantages," Perry replied. "He's telling the truth."
Perry also condemned Trump's legal attorneys for trying to quietly slide a rejected defense into jury instructions that Merchan will give them ahead of deliberations. Merchan ultimately ruled not to in what legal experts say was a "huge" win for the prosecution.
"No matter how you slice or dice it, it's a very specific defense that comes with some consequences...you have to open up a whole can of worms," Perry said. "You can't just throw it in at the eleventh hour."
