John Dean Thinks Donald Trump's Legal Team Tripped Up, And It's Going To Cost Them
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John Dean, who helped bring down President Richard Nixon in the Watergate scandal, questioned the “sophistication” of a potential tactic from Donald Trump’s team in the former president’s hush money trial.
Trump’s defense team didn’t push back very much on the more salacious details that adult film actor Stormy Daniels testified about her alleged 2006 sexual encounter with Trump. The focus of the proceedings is a hush money payment Trump is accused of making to Daniels during the 2016 election, and his alleged falsification of documents to cover it up. Trump denies the claims.
In an appearance on CNN this weekend, Dean said Trump’s attorneys could well try to use Daniels’ testimony as part of an appeal, if the presumptive GOP nominee is convicted in the case.
However, the “sophistication” of such a strategy is “really questionable,” Dean said, “because on cross-examination, they went in the same areas themselves, it appeared at Donald Trump’s request, to try to get in and mix it up with Stormy, and they did not do well at it.”
Daniels “actually came out as a very strong witness, and her own story certainly held up in front of the jury,” said Dean, the White House counsel who flipped on Nixon and cooperated with prosecutors during the Watergate scandal.
“So, I’m not sure it worked,” he added. “I don’t think it’ll work on appeal.”
The trial continues Monday when former Trump fixer and attorney Michael Cohen, who was sentenced to prison for his role in the alleged scheme, is expected to take the stand.
Watch Dean’s full analysis of the trial here:
