How Trump’s hush money lawyer is 'torching his reputation'

New York City attorney Todd Blanche has often clashed with Justice Juan Merchan during former President Donald Trump's hush money/falsified business records trial. Yet Blanche has had a reputation for being a very skillful trial lawyer — a reputation that, Salon's Amanda Marcotte stresses in an article published on May 2, is suffering because of his work in this case.

During the trial, Marcotte observes, Blanche's "defense strategy" has seemed "puzzling at best and downright foolish in many cases."

"Sometimes, it's hard not to wonder if he's trying to alienate the judge and jury that hold his client's fate in their hands," Marcotte explains. "During opening statements, for instance, Blanche kept openly flouting the judicial restrictions. Prosecutors successfully objected more than half a dozen times, which is highly unusual during opening statements — and could turn a jury against the defendant."

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The Salon journalist continues, "Meanwhile, Blanche struggles to control Trump, who doesn't just sleep through much of the trial, but keeps pulling out his phone, against courtroom rules."

When Merchan fined Trump $9000 for violating his partial gag order, the judge expressed his frustration with Blanche as well and warned, "You're losing all credibility with the court."

In his 2018 book "Everything Trump Touches Dies: A Republican Strategist Gets Real About the Worst President Ever," Never Trump conservative Rick Wilson argued that Trump had a way of causing major problems for those who work for him.

Similarly, Marcotte cites Blanche as an example of someone whose credibility is suffering because of Trump.

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"Blanche has been completely assimilated into the MAGA borg," Marcotte laments. "He changed his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican. He bought a house near Mar-a-Lago. He attends Trump campaign events. He works out of Trump's offices. It's the same process we've all seen time and again with people who work for Trump: Either you get completely on board with Trump and all his delusions, or you're pushed out."

Marcotte adds, "This fear keeps people from noticing what is obvious to outsiders: Sticking by Trump means a very strong chance you ruin your life and torch your reputation. And that's if you're lucky enough not to go to jail. Just ask Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer who went to prison for him and is now a witness in the case Blanche is currently trying."

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Amanda Marcotte's full Salon article is available at this link.