Trump’s lawyer attacks Michael Cohen in hush-money trial

Donald Trump’s legal team sought to dismantle the credibility of key prosecution witness Michael Cohen in his Manhattan trial on Tuesday.

Cohen, Mr Trump’s former lawyer, testified about hush-money payments to adult-film star Stormy Daniels.

The ex-president showed no reaction while his current counsel, Todd Blanche, attacked Cohen’s motivations.

Cohen, portrayed by other witnesses as being quick to anger, stayed calm during two hours of tense exchanges.

Mr Blanche sought to cast him as a man with a personal vendetta against the former president, and one who sought to profit from Mr Trump’s legal woes and openly yearned for a conviction.

At one point Mr Blanche asked bluntly if Cohen wanted to see Mr Trump convicted in the case, the first criminal trial of a former president.

After being pressed, Cohen responded: “Sure.”

Cohen, who was imprisoned for tax evasion, fraud and campaign finance violations in relation to the payment, was called by the prosecution mainly to testify that Mr Trump was aware of the scheme pay off Ms Daniels $130,000 (£104,300).

Mr Trump faces 34 counts of business fraud for allegedly reimbursing Cohen for the payment through transactions disguised as legal expenses.

Prosecutors charge that concealing the payment, made just before the 2016 presidential election, qualifies as election interference. The former president pleaded not guilty to the charges and denies having sex with Ms Daniels.