Eric Trump Says Michael Cohen 'Giddy' in Court

Eric Trump, son of Donald Trump, has lashed out at Michael Cohen after the attorney testified at the former president's hush money trial.

The executive vice president of the Trump Organization accused his father's former lawyer of being "giddy" in the courtroom as he answered questions under oath about a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels to keep an alleged affair with Trump a secret ahead of the 2016 election.

The money was later listed in Trump's official company records as Cohen's legal fees. Prosecutors allege the payment amounted to an illegal campaign violation and the hush money was concealed in order to improve the Republican's chances of winning the 2016 election. Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony falsifying business records charges, denies having sex with Daniels, and argues the payments to Cohen were legal expenses and not an attempt to influence the presidential race.

While answering questions at the New York courtroom on Monday, Cohen testified that Trump believed reports of an affair with Daniels emerging just ahead of the 2016 election would be a "disaster" for his campaign. Cohen also told the jury that Trump urged him to "get control" over the Daniels situation and "just get past the election," as he was only concerned about the affair claims damaging his White House hopes, not the effect it would have on his marriage or reputation.

Speaking to Fox News' Laura Ingraham, Eric Trump accused the Manhattan District Attorney's Office's investigation into the presumptive 2024 presidential candidate of being politically motivated, with the testimony from its star witnesses Cohen being their "Super Bowl moment."

"The New York DA's office is sitting in court and they're sitting there, they're giggling and laughing, this is their All Star moment, this is their Super Bowl moment," Eric Trump said. "They're excited and they're laughing, they finally get the opportunity to get my father.

"Then I look at Cohen, and he's giddy. He's so happy to say that he's a personal attorney for Donald J. Trump, and how honored he was and how great it was and he worked in that role even after he left the organization," he added.

"But despite that, for some reason, when he bills a company for a legal expense, and they book it as a legal expense, that's a felony."

Cohen has been contacted for comment via email.

The testimony from Cohen is expected to last several more days, including what is sure to be a fiery cross-examination from Trump's team.

The defense is expected to try and paint Cohen as an unreliable witness due to his history of public falsehoods.

Cohen previously pleaded guilty to lying to Congress in connection with a real estate deal the former president's company was pursuing in Russia during the 2016 campaign, and was accused by a federal judge of perjuring himself while he testified in Trump's civil fraud trial last October.

Norm Eisen, who interviewed Cohen under his role as a special counsel to the House Judiciary Committee during Trump's first impeachment, said he expected Cohen to "exceed expectations" when he took the stand in New York.

"Cohen was natural and credible, and he also benefited from the prosecution's careful strategy of bolstering his claims with corroborated evidence presented to the jury today as well as in the weeks leading up to it," Eisen told Newsweek.

"While we still have the cross-examination to go, Cohen's testimony so far is a win for the D.A. in their attempt to tie Trump to the schemes at the center of this trial."

Elsewhere during his testimony, Cohen described how much he enjoyed working as Trump's attorney and fixer despite now being a vocal critic of the former president.

"It was an amazing experience in many, many ways," Cohen said. "There were great times. There were several less than great times."