Joe Rogan has opined that the case against Donald Trump is “falling apart,” as his criminal hush money trial in New York City draws to a close.
“It’s the worst situation,” Rogan said of the issues surrounding the former president as he spoke with his podcast guest, stand-up comedian and libertarian political commentator Dave Smith. “And it looks like this case is falling apart.”
Following an investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office, Trump was indicted in March 2023 for 34 counts of falsifying business records relating to hush money paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels by Trump’s then-lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen during his 2016 presidential campaign.
The money was listed in Trump’s company records as “legal fees,” which prosecutors suggest was part of an unlawful attempt to influence the outcome of the 2016 race. Trump admitted to reimbursing the $130,000 to Cohen, but has denied all accusations of wrongdoing, saying that the trial is part of a political witch hunt aimed at derailing his bid for another term in the White House.
With the weeks-long court proceedings marking the first time in U.S. history that a former president has stood trial in a criminal case, the case also sees Trump fighting the allegations as he vies for a second term in the White House.
Rogan shared his belief that the case against Trump has significantly weakened since the trial began, leading his podcast guest Smith to declare of the former president: “Everything they throw at him it just backfires and just makes him stronger and stronger.”
“The [trial] in New York, though, apparently they thought was the most flimsy, like a lot of legal experts thought it was the most flimsy going into it, but now it’s completely fallen apart,” Rogan weighed in. “They have contradictory statements that [Daniels] made to Bill Maher and then they also have—Michael Cohen just admitted he stole like $30,000 from the Trump campaign, so that’s not good.”
Newsweek has contacted representatives of Trump and Daniels via email for comment.
Speaking earlier this month on his HBO show Real Time, Maher described Daniels as “a bad witness,” before playing a clip from his 2018 interview with her, in which she said that her sexual encounter with Trump was consensual.
“It’s not a MeToo case,” Daniels told Maher at the time after being pressed. “I wasn’t assaulted. I wasn’t attacked, or raped, or coerced or blackmailed.”
“They tried to shove me in the MeToo box to further their own agenda,” she added. “And first of all, I didn’t want to be part of that because it’s not the truth and I’m not a victim in that regard.”
Maher juxtaposed Daniels’ comments with her court testimony, in which she spoke of a power imbalance with Trump. Daniels told the court that the former star of The Apprentice was “bigger and blocking the way” during their hotel room encounter, adding that her “hands were shaking so hard” and she “just wanted to leave” at the time.
During her testimony, Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, spoke in detail about her one-night stand with Trump. She alleged that they had unprotected sex. Daniels also said that she used a magazine featuring Trump on the cover to swat the one-time real estate mogul “right on the butt.”
Meanwhile, Cohen admitted to stealing from the Trump Organization during testimony at the trial on Monday. Trump attorney Todd Blanche questioned Cohen about a payment to tech company Red Finch. Cohen paid the company $20,000 from the $50,000 he received from the Trump Organization for financial services.
Cohen admitted to billing the Trump Organization for the full expense even though he never paid Red Finch the entire amount. When Blanche asked Cohen if he stole from the Trump Organization, given the $20,000 Red Finch payment, Cohen answered, “Yes, sir.”
Legal analysts previously told Newsweek that the admission looks bad for Cohen as a central witness in the prosecution’s case.
After the prosecution and defense rested their cases, presiding Judge Juan Merchan announced on Tuesday that the jury would adjourn until next week, when closing arguments are slated to begin.
Deliberations are likely to start soon afterward, with a verdict potentially also coming as soon as next week. Trump, the presumptive GOP nominee for president, could face years in prison if convicted.
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