Trump trial live updates: Drama sweeps courtroom as defense tries to get case tossed

Defense attorney Todd Blanche asked about Michael Cohen's interest in a White House position after Trump was elected in 2016, in order to highlight another alleged inconsistency in his congressional testimony.

"Do you remember telling Congress that it was a lie that you did not want to go to the White House?" Blanche asked.

"I remember telling Congress that I did not want to work in the White House," Cohen said.

"I believe you testified you were never offered the role of chief of staff" -- a role that you wish you had, asked Blanche.

Cohen reaffirmed that he was never offered the role of chief of staff.

"I would have liked to be considered, for ego purposes," he said.

"The truth is, Mr. Cohen, you really wanted to work in the White House, correct?" Blanche asked.

"Again, no sir," Cohen said.

"You hoped that you would be named the White House chief of staff -- not just be considered?" Blanche asked.

"No sir," Cohen said.

Lauren Glassberg reports.

Donald Trump's defense attorney Todd Blanche on Thursday pushed Michael Cohen, repeatedly and emphatically, on his admission that he lied when pleading guilty to some federal charges, including tax fraud, before Judge William Pauley.

Cohen - Trump's former personal lawyer and fixer, being cross-examined in the ex-president's hush money trial - does not dispute the bulk of the defense's characterizations, though he has couched some of his answers in legalistic terms. Blanche appeared intent on connecting the words "lie" and "lying" to Cohen as often as possible.

In one exchange, Blanche asked Cohen if he agreed "that when you plead guilty to a crime and you're lying, that's not accepting responsibility for your conduct?"

After Cohen expressed ambivalence, Blanche continued, "You lied, you lied to the judge when you pleaded guilty," adding: "Do you think Judge Pauley would have liked to know that you lied to him?"

Cohen initially said he wasn't sure, before conceding the point. "I am certain he would have," he said.

The court soon after broke for its morning recess. Trump, who had been sitting placidly with his arms folded across his chest, flashed a thumbs up as he left the courtroom after a reporter asked, "How's Todd doing?"

Donald Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen explained Thursday at the ex-president's hush money trial his own role in New York City's taxi medallion system, the unusual and archaic economic model that underpins the city's for-hire vehicle industry.

Cohen owned 32 medallions of an estimated 13,000 citywide that he leased out to Evgeny Freidman, a figure known locally as New York's "Taxi King." Cohen pleaded guilty to federal charges that included hiding more than $1.3 million in income that he received from Freidman. Freidman was later sentenced to probation for tax fraud.

"It would be no different than if you were leasing an apartment from somebody," Cohen said of his relationship with Freidman. "He would lease my medallion or medallions in agreement with the contract, and he would pay me a sum every month whether he made money or not."

Donald Trump's defense attorney Todd Blanche grilled Michael Cohen on Thursday at the former president's hush money trial about Cohen's 2018 guilty plea to federal charges, including for lying to Congress about a Trump Tower Moscow project.

As he did when pleading guilty, Cohen, Trump's former lawyer and fixer, conceded on the witness stand that he lied to two congressional committees about his contacts with Russian officials. He also said he lied when he said he never agreed to travel to Russia in connection with the project and never discussed with Trump plans to travel to Moscow to support it.

"Just related to that issue, you lied under oath, correct?" Blanche asked.

"Yes sir," Cohen said.

Blanche dug at Cohen's motivations for the admitting to prior lies to Congress. Blanche noted that Cohen has repeatedly said he lied out of loyalty to Trump.

Cohen went on to testify that he does accept responsibility for what he did.