Former President Donald Trump was recently mocked on Wednesday after he complained about the prosecution in New York not calling witnesses his own lawyers could have called via Mediaite.
Following the first day of jury deliberations in his New York hush money trial, Trump complained to reporters:
A lot of key witnesses were not called. Look at your list, look at the players, and you know who I’m talking about. You can take five or six of them. Why didn’t they call those witnesses? They didn’t call them because they would’ve been on our side, and it’s a shame, and in particular one witness who’s now suffering gravely because of what’s happened, because of the viciousness of these thugs. They’re vicious people, what they’ve done to that person, and you know who I’m talking about, and they didn’t call him as a witness. They didn’t call anybody as a witness, and all these people they could have called.
It has been noted that users on social media users were quick to point out. However, that Trump’s own defense team could have called any witness they wanted.
“This is ridiculous,” reacted Mother Jones D.C. bureau chief David Corn. “Trump could’ve called the witnesses he’s now complaining were not called by the prosecutors. He’s counting on his audience to be ignorant about basic courtroom procedures.”
“The guy who could have called those witnesses is Todd Blanche. THE GUY STANDING RIGHT NEXT TO HIM,” weighed in Two and a Half Men star Jon Cryer, while Republican pollster Frank Luntz noted, “In a courtroom trial, the defense is also permitted to call witnesses that are not called by the prosecution.”
Politico columnist Renato Mariotti pointed out, “Trump is referring to Allen Weisselberg. When the judge suggested that he could ensure Weisselberg was brought to court, Trump’s lawyer protested, noting that he wasn’t on the witness list. Trump’s team could have called Weisselberg to the stand but didn’t want to do so.”
Such a ridiculous lie. He called have called Weisselberg. He could have taken the stand himself.
He chose not to. https://t.co/tNlAoPILH5
— S.V. Dáte (@svdate) May 29, 2024
A reminder that the defense was able to call as many "key witnesses" as it wanted. It chose to call just one. https://t.co/9qERBpJs1M
— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) May 30, 2024
You can see Trump's lawyer, Todd Blanche, standing next to him and thinking, "Oh shit, was I supposed to call WITNESSES?!?" https://t.co/EuMJT2NTGq
— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) May 29, 2024
