Maggie Haberman, a CNN commentator and New York Times reporter, shared a detail about former President Donald Trump in court during a discussion on CNN’s The Source with Kaitlan Collins. Haberman noted that in civil cases, Trump was observed “literally poking” his attorney Alina Habba to prompt her to take action during the proceedings.
This observation highlights the often tense dynamic between Trump and his legal team, with Trump actively trying to influence his attorneys’ actions in the courtroom. This interaction serves as an example of the challenges faced by lawyers working for Trump, who may find themselves in difficult situations due to his hands-on approach and frequent changes in legal representation.
Haberman also mentioned how Trump’s attorneys often need to adapt their lives around him, pointing to attorney Todd Blanche’s recent shift in his responsibilities due to representing Trump. Overall, this interaction illustrates the complex and high-pressure environment of working as part of Trump’s legal team.
COLLINS: Yes, I guess it does speak to the level of what it’s like to be an attorney, working for Donald Trump.
HONIG: It’s a tough gig. I mean, look, like let’s look through the history. You mentioned Michael Cohen, right?
We’ve seen John Eastman. Now, he’s indicted. He lost his license.
Jeffrey Clark. He’s indicted. He lost his license.
Sidney Powell, she’s indicted. Jenna Ellis, she’s indicted. They both pled guilty.
HABERMAN: Rudy Giuliani.
HONIG: Rudy Giuliani.
I mean, it’s really hard to think of an example of someone, who’s represented Trump, and come out of it with their financial situation intact, their professional reputation intact, their exposure to crimes intact. It’s a grueling job. It’s a tough gig.
And here, we’re going to end up with a situation, where this guy is going to take the stand, against his former client.
COLLINS: And also–
HABERMAN: Moving on, what happens with the case, but yes.
HONIG: Yes.
COLLINS: And also, it’s the original attorneys who were working, on these two cases, when they were still investigations and not actual cases, they’re all gone from the legal team.
HONIG: Yes.
HABERMAN: Yes.
COLLINS: John Rowley, Jim Trusty, now Evan Corcoran.
HABERMAN: Yes. COLLINS: All those names are not going to be the ones taking these to trial.
HABERMAN: Now, I mean, Trump cycles through lawyers. We have seen this over and over and over again.
This goes back, frankly, many, many years. But certainly, at least from when he’s from the time when he was president on, he’s cycled through lawyers, during the Mueller investigation. He cycled through lawyers, around his efforts to stay in power. He has cycled through lawyers, since leaving the White House.
He’s about to go on trial. We’ll see what this looks like.
HONIG: And to that end, let me just flag like watch the dynamic between his legal team and Donald Trump, and you both will be reporting on this, because there’s always a little bit of tension at trial.
COLLINS: Yes.
HONIG: Sometimes, the defense lawyer wants to go one way, the client wants him to be more aggressive here or less aggressive there. And that can bubble over. And sometimes, that gets reflected in the courtroom itself.
HABERMAN: We’ve seen it already.
HONIG: Yes.
HABERMAN: At least in the civil cases. There was a lot of Donald Trump, literally poking at his lawyer, Alina Habba–
COLLINS: Yes.
HABERMAN: –to get up.
COLLINS: When you just reported on his latest attorney, Todd Blanche.
HABERMAN: Correct.
COLLINS: And how, he is now at the forefront of all of this.
HABERMAN: And how he has changed his life, around Donald Trump, which is what a lot of lawyers do.
