Thread by @atrupar

Trump can be heard on the tape saying, "cash, cash." Cohen's lawyer says, "the only people who use cash are drug dealers and mobsters."

https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1021925230724501504

Trump, who urged his followers today to not trust their senses and just listen to him, has put out an alternative transcript of the tape.

Lanny Davis, Michael Cohen's attorney: "Listen to the tape, everyone. This is not a man shocked when Mr. Cohen said, 'we have to make payments.'" (Trump has denied any knowledge of hush payments to McDougal.)

COHEN'S ATTORNEY, LANNY DAVID: "Don't believe fake news. Don't believe fake transcripts. The tape says what it says. Nothing that Giuliani or President Trump can do can alter what's on the tape. I leave it to you."

Here's Giuliani's statement to CNN

COHEN'S LAWYER, LANNY DAVIS: "We know that Trump has lied even during the campaign when his spokesman denied 2 months after this tape that he knew anything about McDougal. Ladies & gents, if you voted for Trump, listen to the tape and ask yourself, is Donald Trump lying?"

COHEN'S ATTORNEY: "Don't believe me. Listen to the tape & ask yourself, is it right for a president before he's elected to use the word 'cash,' which drug dealers & mobsters prefer so there's no tracking... & you hear Michael say, 'no, no, no, no.' That's truth...they are afraid"

As Giuliani disputes what Trump is recorded saying on the Cohen tape, a reminder that the president -- aware that CNN was working on a story -- earlier today urged his supporters to not believe their senses & just listen to him 🤔

https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1021809140715479041

.@AlanDersh on Cohen: "He's going to flip. There's no question. He's now made it clear...he said he's going to tell the truth. He's going to cooperate. He's turned. He's pressed the reset button."

DERSHOWITZ: "There's no crime here. Worst-case scenario, take everything Lanny Davis says as true. There's no crime. There's no impeachable offense. This is all about how the president looks in the court of public opinion... I think they will win that fight b/c tape is ambiguous"

.@MichaelAvenatti on what he hears on Cohen tape: "I'm hearing two criminal co-conspirators conspiring on making a payment, and I'm hearing Michael Cohen being the sycophant that he is for the president."

AVENATTI: "My BS detector's off the chart right now. Cohen could have issued a written statement even if he didn't want to go on TV about what happened here. Where are the rest of the tapes? You don't get to claim love of country & being a patriot unless you do the right thing."

Rudy Giuliani is on Fox News defending Trump by saying, "There's no way the president is going to be talking about setting up a corporation and then using cash, unless you are complete idiot." 🤔

GIULIANI: "This is at most an attempt to do something. I don't know of any attempt in this category of crime that they're looking at. I don't think anyone can suggest this represents anything where the president did anything wrong."

GIULIANI: "When I urge people to do is go online and listen to your broadcast. Play it 3 times. The third time you play it, it will become clear...I have dealt with much worse tapes than this."

“The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.”

.@foxandfriends is treating team Trump's transcript of Cohen tape -- a transcript at odds with what it sounds like Trump actually said -- as if it's the gospel truth.

(It doesn't sound like Trump says, ""Don't pay with cash." Instead, it sounds like he suggests paying cash.)