Defense lawyer Todd Blanche goes after Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels in opening arguments

Donald Trump's legal team sought to undermine key witnesses in its opening statement Monday as his hush money criminal trial marches on.

Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records for allegedly disguising reimbursements for a payment silencing a porn star as legal expenses.

After prosecutor Matthew Colangelo's opening statements previewed testimony from Stormy Daniels, Michael Cohen and recordings of Trump himself, Trump's lawyer emphasized the defendant's humanity and continued to argue he is innocent.

Trump's denial that payments to Cohen were reimbursements for a hush money payment issued to porn star Stormy Daniels seems to be at the crux of the defense's argument.

But defense attorney Todd Blanche also spent considerable time going after key witnesses, telling the jury that Cohen has lied under oath and Daniels' testimony may be sexy but it doesn't prove a crime occurred.

Here is what else Blanche said in his opening arguments:

Trump trial live updates:New witness to testify on alleged hush money scheme

'There's nothing wrong with trying to influence an election. It's called democracy'

Blanche repeatedly tried to downplay parts of the hush money story that are not part Trump's legal charges, including the alleged affair between Daniels and Trump and how squashing that story may have impacted the election.

"There's nothing wrong with trying to influence an election. It's called democracy," Trump lawyer Todd Blanche told the jurors, adding that prosecutors have put a "sinister" spin on this, as if it's a crime, but jurors will learn it's not, he said.

'Her testimony, while salacious, does not matter'

Blanche also pointed to Daniels' potential testimony as being almost irrelevant.

Paying Daniels for her agreement to not publicly spread "false – false – claims" about Trump isn't illegal, Blanche told the jurors.He also said that she has "no idea" about various aspects of the arrangements between Cohen and Trump, including what Michael Cohen wrote on an invoice tied to the charges.

"So her testimony, while salacious, does not matter," Blanche said.

Prosecutor's opening statements:Trump personally engaged in 'election fraud,' 'criminal' coverup

Prosecution objects during defense attack on Michael Cohen, sustained by Judge Juan Merchan

Blanche also focused on Cohen in his opening statements, saying Cohen "has a goal, an obsession, with getting Trump, and you're going to hear that," Blanche said. "I submit to you that he cannot be trusted."

At one point, prosecutors objected to Blanche telling jurors Cohen lied multiple times under oath, sending the lawyers to Judge Juan Merchan's bench for a private conversation. The objection was sustained, but Blanche still went on to tell jurors they will learn about Cohen's guilty plea to lying under oath.

Blanche closed his opening statement appealing to the jury on the basis of being New Yorkers and asking them to use "common sense."

Who is Todd Blanche?

Blanche is widely regarded as Trump’s primary defense lawyer across his various cases.

Blanche first made a name for himself as a federal prosecutor for nine years in the Southern District of New York, or SDNY, which includes Manhattan, where Trump is being tried by District Attorney Alvin Bragg. In 2017, he joined Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, one of New York’s oldest and most prestigious law firms, as a partner and prominent white-collar defense lawyer.

There, Blanche, 49, built a reputation as a dogged advocate for his clients – and for his defense of some Trump associates.

He left that job about a year ago to work full-time for Trump, setting up his own law firm Blanche Law and reportedly moving to Palm Beach County to buy a house near Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate and club.