Michael Cohen: Judge Merchan ‘Absolute Gentleman,’ ‘Judicial Perfection’ — ‘To See Him on that Stand Is to See Poetry’

During an appearance on MSNBC during the network’s wrap-up coverage of former President Donald Trump’s guilty verdicts, former Trump aide Michael Cohen, the embattled star witness for the prosecution against Trump, applauded New York Judge Juan Merchan, who presided over the Trump trial.

“How do you think Donald Trump is feeling today in the wake of these verdicts?” MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow asked.

“Well, I can only go back to when Judge Pauley sentenced me to 36 months,” Cohen replied. “You don’t feel good. Sentencing is terrible. I, of course, took the plea, the 48 hours that was given to me, or they were filing the 80-page indictment that was going to include my wife. It never feels good. I did what I had to do to protect my family. This is very different. Donald didn’t let it go in order to protect his family.”

“He took it all the way,” he continued. “And Judge Juan Merchan, who is an absolute gentleman, to see him on that stand is to see poetry. It’s to see a masterful judge who was quick with decision-making. He was absolutely judicial perfection. And the jury had tremendous respect for him, as did I, which is what kept me off of all my social media, that and Danya [Perry], of course telling me to stay off the social media. It was really out of respect for Judge Merchan and the process that I did exactly that. And the jury respects Judge Merchan. And I believe a lot of the antics that went on in the courtroom, whether it was by Blanche or by Donald himself with the eye closing, the leaning back, the total disregard for the jury, I don’t think he engendered any positive feelings by anyone.”

Follow Jeff Poor on Twitter @jeff_poor