Michael Cohen made $3.4 million from books about Donald Trump: Former president's lawyers tell jurors star witness in hush money trial was motivated by revenge and money

Michael Cohen made roughly $3.4 million from sales of two books he wrote about Donald Trump, the former president's hush money trial heard on Tuesday.

It came as lawyers for the president sought to portray Cohen, the star witness in the trial, as motivated by money and revenge.

Jurors also heard that Cohen had flung insults at Trump on social media - including calling him a 'dictator douchebag' and 'Cheeto-dusted cartoon villain'.

Cohen, who was for years Trump's 'lawyer and 'fixer', earned about $400,000 from his second book, 'Revenge: How Donald Trump Weaponized the US Department of Justice Against His Critics'

Defense attorney Todd Blanche cross examines Michael Cohen in Manhattan criminal court, Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in New York

Michael Cohen testifies during former U.S. President Donald Trump's criminal trial on charges that he falsified business records to conceal money paid to silence porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016, in Manhattan state court in New York City, U.S. May 14, 2024 in this courtroom sketch

His first book was 'Disloyal: The True Story of the Former Personal Attorney to President Donald J. Trump' and earned him even more.

The revelations came as Trump's lawyers grilled Cohen and sought to undermine his testimony that the former president authorized a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.

In sometimes aggressive questioning Trump attorney Todd Blanche confronted Cohen about his schoolyard taunts on social media, which also included calling him a 'boorish cartoon misogynist'.

Cohen, who spent more than a decade working for Trump, had already answered prosecutors' questions for about nine hours on the witness stand on Monday and Tuesday

In detail, he testified that Trump ordered him to pay Daniels in 2016 to stay quiet about an alleged 2006 sexual encounter so it did not ruin his presidential campaign.

Former US President Donald Trump, flanked by his lawyer Todd Blanche (R), gives end of the day remarks after exiting the courtroom during his hush money trial at the Supreme Court of the State of New York, in New York

Former President Donald Trump's lawyer Todd Blanche at Manhattan criminal court

Stormy Daniels and lawyer Clark Brewster during a break in her testimony on May 7

But Cohen's checkered history was a prime target for Trump's lawyers, who questioned him on Tuesday afternoon.

Cohen served time in federal prison for various crimes including the hush money payment, and has admittedly lied under oath.

In some two hours of cross-examination, Blanche has yet to ask Cohen about the $130,000 payment at the heart of the case.

Instead, he went methodically through Cohen's extensive public comments about Trump over the years to underscore his transformation from Trump loyalist to enemy, and his pattern of deception.

Blanche also suggested Cohen was motivated by money, revenge and notoriety rather than justice.

Lara Trump and Eric Trump return to the courtroom after a break during former US President Donald Trump hush money trial at the Supreme Court of the State of New York, in New York, New York, USA, 14 May 2024

He asked Cohen about the millions of dollars he earned from his two tell-all memoirs and the millions of subscribers to his frequently anti-Trump podcast.

The defense also showed jurors pictures of Trump-themed merchandise for sale on Cohen's website, including mugs reading, 'Send him to the big house, not the White House'.

Cohen is the prosecution's key witness at Trump's historic trial, which started on April 15 and is nearing the final stretch.

His cross-examination will resume on Thursday, after a scheduled day off for the trial on Wednesday.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump watches as Michael Cohen is cross examined by defense lawyer Todd Blanche during Trump's criminal trial on charges that he falsified business records to conceal money paid to silence porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016, in Manhattan state court in New York City

Prosecutors say Trump paid Cohen back after the election by creating false records indicating they were for legal fees.

Those disguised reimbursements provide the basis for the 34 counts of falsifying business records that Trump faces.

Trump, 77, the 2024 Republican presidential candidate, has pleaded not guilty and denies any sexual encounter with Daniels.

He has characterized the case as a partisan attempt to interfere with his campaign to take back the White House he lost in 2020 to Democratic President Joe Biden.

Earlier on Tuesday, Cohen described an Oval Office meeting in February 2017 where Trump told him that Cohen would soon receive the first monthly installments of a bonus package, which Cohen said included reimbursements for the Daniels payment.

Trump's Deputy Communications chief Margo Martin and Eric Trump listen as former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks outside of the courtroom on April 30

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger walked Cohen through a series of invoices and checks - some signed by Trump himself - that Cohen said were falsely marked as paying to retain him for legal services.

'There was no retainer agreement, was there?' Hoffinger asked.

'No, ma'am,' Cohen replied.

Cohen, 57, said he lied multiple times to Congress during an investigation into Trump's Russia ties, eventually pleading guilty to perjury.

He also told jurors he lied repeatedly about the payment to Daniels, telling journalists Trump had no involvement.

In 2018, after the Justice Department began investigating the Daniels payment, FBI agents raided Cohen's home. He said he called Trump in a panic.

'He said to me, "Don't worry, I'm the president of the United States, you're going to be OK,"' Cohen said.

That was the last time they spoke directly, Cohen added.

Stormy Daniels has already given evidence in the case

Donald Trump, center, with attorney Michael Cohen, left, and Omarosa Manigault, right, during a visit to the Pastors Leadership Conference at New Spirit Revival Center, Sept. 21, 2016

Instead, Cohen testified, a lawyer named Robert Costello who was close to Trump adviser Rudy Giuliani offered a 'back channel' to Trump.

In emails shown to jurors, Costello passed along Giuliani's assurances that he had 'friends in high places.'

Meanwhile, Trump was defending Cohen on social media and decrying the idea that he might 'flip' and cooperate with prosecutors.

onald Trump, left, speaking as attorney Michael Cohen, right seated, looks on during a visit to the Pastors Leadership Conference at New Spirit Revival Center, Sept. 21, 2016

It all added up to a 'pressure campaign' to keep Cohen in line, he said.

But he eventually decided to cooperate after speaking with his family.

Cohen pleaded guilty to federal crimes in 2018, including offenses related to the Daniels payment, and said he was acting at the behest of Trump, who was not charged.

'I regret doing things for him that I should not have,' Cohen said on Tuesday when asked to reflect on his many years working for Trump.

'To keep the loyalty and to do the things that he asked me to do, I violated my moral compass. And I suffered the penalty - as has my family.'