Michael Cohen returns to witness stand as decision on Trump testimony in hush money trial looms

Michael Cohen will return to the witness stand in a New York courtroom for a third day of cross-examination by Donald Trump's lawyers Monday in what could be the final day of testimony in the first criminal trial of a former president.

One possibility that could lengthen the trial would be Trump's taking the stand in his own defense. Trump said before the trial began that he would "absolutely" testify. He has softened that position since then, and his attorney Todd Blanche told the judge when they were last in court Thursday that he didn't know yet whether Trump would take the stand. Court wasn't in session Friday so Trump could attend his son's high school graduation.

Blanche questioned Cohen, Trump's former personal lawyer, all day Thursday and part of Tuesday, pressing him about inconsistencies in some of his past claims about Trump and his admitted falsehoods on Trump's behalf over the years.

"That's a lie!" Blanche barked at Cohen at one point, after he challenged him about his account of having spoken to Trump on the phone at a specific time about the hush money agreement he'd struck with adult film actor Stormy Daniels in the weeks before the 2016 election.

Cohen had testified earlier that he'd gotten ahold of Trump through Keith Schiller, his bodyguard, at 8:02 p.m. Oct. 24, 2016, to “discuss the Stormy Daniels matter and the resolution of it.”

Blanche confronted Cohen with a text message he'd sent Schiller at 7:48 saying, "Who can I speak to regarding phone calls to my cell and office, the dope forgot to block one of them." Schiller responded with a text saying "call me" at 8:02, which Cohen did immediately.

Blanche noted that the call lasted 96 seconds and that at 8:04 p.m., Cohen texted Schiller the phone