Conservative lawyer George Conway suggested Thursday that the cross-examination of adult film star Stormy Daniels by former President Trump’s legal team at his silent trial was a “complete disaster.”
“My conclusion was that the continued interrogation of Stormy Daniels was a complete disaster and a fiasco for the defense,” Conway said during a CNN panel appearance, adding, “It went on and on and on and on and on?” There’s something about her.”
Conway, who is divorcing former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway, has been an outspoken critic of the former president. Still, he praised Trump’s lawyer Susan Necheles, the only woman who defended him in the Manhattan hush money case, as a “good” lawyer who knows how to cross-examine witnesses.
“I think what happened was they had a day off and Necheles is a very good lawyer by reputation,” he said. “I could even tell by the way she carried herself that she knows how to cross-examine a witness and how to ask questions.”
But, he added, “her client is a narcissistic sociopath and is obsessed with proving the lie that he had nothing to do with Stormy Daniels.”
Conway said it shouldn’t matter to the defense whether the case happened or not and characterized the current approach as “counterproductive.” He also suggested the interrogation was “just rubbish” and “embarrassing”.
“By keeping your cross simple and short, you can control the witness. But the further you go, the more the witness may come your way,” he said. “And this woman is much smarter than Necheles’ client.”
Judge Juan Merchan, presiding over the trial, examined the Trump team’s legal strategy to no longer object during Daniels’ testimony on Thursday.
Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, described in detail her alleged sexual encounter with the former president in 2006. Prosecutors even asked Daniels if the former president used a condom during the alleged encounter, which Merchan acknowledged was a bit off. far away.
“I agree, this should not have been disclosed,” said the judge. “I wish these questions hadn’t been asked and I wish these answers hadn’t been given.”
“But for the life of me, I don’t know why Ms. Necheles didn’t object,” Merchan continued. “Why on earth she wouldn’t object to the mention of condoms, I don’t understand.”
At the end of the process, Trump’s lawyers again asked for a mistrial – which Merchan denied.
The former president faces 34 counts of falsifying business records related to a payment he made to Daniels in 2016 to keep silent about an alleged affair. Trump has repeatedly denied the affair and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
