>>> 26 PAST THE HOUR. WE CONTINUE WITH OUR SPECIAL COVERAGE ON MSNBC. >> WE'RE IN A BREAK RIGHT NOW INSIDE THE COURTROOM. WE EXPECT THEM TO RESUME TESTIMONY WITH MICHAEL COHEN, THE PROSECUTION CONTINUING WITH ITS DIRECT TESTIMONY. IN ABOUT TEN MINUTES OR SO, IN THE MEANTIME, LET'S BRING IN JEFF, A DEFENSE ATTORNEY WHO REPRESENTED THREE WHITE HOUSE OFFICIALS DURING THE CLINTON PRESIDENCY AND OUR OTHER LEGAL ANALYSTS ARE STILL WITH US AS WELL. JEFF, LET ME ASK YOU KIND OF THE BROAD BRUSH STROKE QUESTION, IF YOU WILL. WHAT HAVE YOU HEARD SO FAR FROM THE PROSECUTION IN ITS TESTIMONY WITH MICHAEL COHEN THAT THE DEFENSE COULD TRY TO CAPITALIZE ON? >> WELL, YOU KNOW, THE DEFENSE IS IN A TOUGH POSITION BECAUSE THE ONLY WAY TO REALLY CONTRADICT WHAT COHEN HAS TESTIFIED TO WOULD BE TESTIMONY FROM WEISSELBERG OR FROM TRUMP. AND THAT IS VERY UNLIKELY TO HAPPEN. SO THEN YOU HAVE TO ATTACK COHEN'S CREDIBILITY. YOU HAVE TO CALL HIM A LIAR. YOU HAVE TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, HE CONTINUED TO LIE AS HE PLED GUILTY. HE SERVED TIME IN JAIL. HE'S UNTRUSTWORTHY. AND THEIR DEFENSE WILL BE THE CROSS-EXAMINATION. >> SO JEFF, THE FACT THAT THE DEFENSE HAS HAD RELATIVELY FEW OBJECTIONS DURING THE ENTIRE PROCESS OF THE COHEN TESTIMONY, WHAT DOES IT TELL YOU? >> WELL, YOU KNOW, THE THING IS WITH LEAVING QUESTIONS, I KNOW WE HAD A DISCUSSION ON IT, IF THE DEFENSE OBJECTS, THE WITNESS HAS HEARD THE QUESTION. SO HE KNOWS WHERE THE PROSECUTION IS GOING. IT GIVES HIM TIME TO FORMULATE AN ANSWER. ONCE THE OBJECTION IS EITHER DENIED OR IT'S SUSTAINED, AND THE QUESTION IS REPHRASED, HE THEN KNOWS THE ANSWER. SO AN OBJECTION MAY NOT BE VERY HELPFUL, ALTHOUGH MOST OF THE TIME, DEFENSE COUNSEL WOULD OBJECT. >> YOU SAID DEFENSE WILL ALL COME IN CROSS-EXAMINATION. THAT IS GOING TO BE THE KEY MOMENT FOR THIS DEFENSE TO MAKE AN IMPRESSION ON THE JURY WITH MICHAEL COHEN. WE SAW HOW THEY WENT ABOUT IT WITH STORMY DANIELS. WHAT DOES TODD BLANCHE, THE ATTORNEY WHO WE'RE TOLD WILL DO THE CROSS-EXAMINATION THIS TIME NEED TO DO DIFFERENTLY WITH MICHAEL COHEN THAN WHAT WE SAW HAPPEN WITH STORMY DANIELS, IF ANYTHING? >> WELL, I THINK HE HAS A LOT MORE TO WORK WITH WITH MICHAEL COHEN, BECAUSE MICHAEL COHEN HAS A HISTORY OF, FOR EXAMPLE, LYING. THAT STORMY DANIELS DID NOT HAVE, AS MUCH AS MICHAEL COHEN HAS DONE IT. NOW, MICHAEL COHEN HAS SAID, WELL, HE'S DONE IT TO PROTECT THE PRESIDENT. YOU KNOW, THE TESTIMONY THAT HAS COME OUT IS THAT YOU HAVE REALLY A PLETHORA OF PEOPLE AROUND DONALD TRUMP WHO ARE WILLING TO LIE FOR HIM. I MEAN, HOPE HICKS' NAME CAME UP. OTHERS' NAMES HAVE COME UP. SO MICHAEL COHEN WASN'T UNUSUAL IN THAT RESPECT, BUT HE WAS BASICALLY IN THE LEAD TO SOME DEGREE. >> MISTY, RIGHT BEFORE THAT BREAK, THERE WAS AN OBJECTION CALLED, AND THEN THERE WAS A SIDEBAR, ESSENTIALLY. WHAT DO YOU THINK THIS IS ABOUT? >> THIS WAS LIKELY ABOUT -- THE SCOPE OF THE QUESTIONS. IT'S ABOUT THE SCOPE OF THE TESTIMONY MOVING FORWARD. THE DEFENSE IS ALWAYS GOING TO TRY TO LIMIT WHAT'S GOING TO COME OUT THERE ON THE RECORD. OF COURSE, THIS PARTICULAR QUESTION, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE SAID HAD YOU COOPERATED WITH THE INVESTIGATION? HAS A LOT OF ISSUES BECAUSE IT'S COMPLETE SPECULATION. BUT ALSO, IT HAS A -- IT'S GOING TO SET THE TONE FOR WHAT THE TESTIMONY IS GOING TO BE MOVING FORWARD. AND THE DEFENSE WANTS TO TALK ABOUT THAT WITH THE JUDGE AND THE PROSECUTION ABOUT WHAT THE SCOPE OF QUESTIONING IS GOING TO BE. I ACTUALLY THINK THE PRIOR SIDEBAR RELATED TO THAT AS WELL, BECAUSE WE WERE HEARING ABOUT THE FEDERAL FILING, THE FEC, AND WE WERE HEARING ABOUT JEFF SESSIONS. AND I THINK THE DEFENSE SAID, W
