During the trial, defense attorney Todd Blanche played a recording of Michael Cohen speaking to Keith Davidson in October 2017. In the recording, Cohen is heard saying, 'who else would do that for somebody? Who else? I did because I care about the guy. I wasn’t going to play pennywise pound foolish. And I’m sitting there and I’m saying to myself what about me?'
Blanche argued that this phrase provides valuable insight into Cohen's state of mind at the time. He emphasized that it was reasonable for Cohen to make payments in 2016 without informing President Trump, as it could potentially lead to a lucrative job opportunity if Trump won the election, or a better position internally if Trump lost.
Blanche highlighted Cohen's statement of 'what about me' as a key point in the defense's argument. This phrase suggests that Cohen was considering his own interests and motivations when making decisions related to the payments in question.
The defense's strategy is to demonstrate that Cohen's actions were driven by personal considerations and ambitions, rather than any illicit intent or wrongdoing. By focusing on Cohen's state of mind and priorities at the time of the payments, Blanche aims to create doubt and raise questions about the prosecution's case against his client.
