Trump is keeping his lawyers from trying a strategy that will help his case: legal expert

The lawyers tasked with swaying a jury in Donald Trump's favor during the second week of the historic criminal hush money trial in New York City are going down a "hard road."

That's according to former federal prosecutor Harry Litman.

He believes the defense is hamstrung because the 45th president won't let his reputation be tarnished. Even as sordid details of his conduct are slowly fogging the air in the trial that is expected to last six to eight weeks before a jury deliberates.

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"Trump has always denied having had the tryst with [Stormy Daniels]," he said.

But Litman says that it's customary and even advantageous, for most conventional defenses to show some humility, and even expose some of their client's warts.

"And a different kind of defense, with a different kind of defendant — most defendants, the defense would be, 'Yes, he's a little sleazy. He cuts corners, but he's not a criminal.'"

"They can't make that defense because Trump is right there and [he] won't let [them]," Litman said.

"So they are having to carry that weight."

Former President Donald Trump stands accused of fudging his financial records to hide payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels weeks before the 2016 election.

Daniels and another woman allege they engaged in sexual relations with him.

Trump has always denied the accusations and is defending himself against a 34-count indictment brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

On Friday, Trump's former longtime assistant Rhona Graff recalled Stormy Daniels arriving at Trump Tower, but chalked it up to her potentially being cast for a future celebrity-themed episode of the real estate tycoon's successful TV show "The Apprentice."

"You understood she was there to discuss being cast for 'The Apprentice?'" she was asked.

"I assumed that," Graff says.

Litman is convinced that sullying Trump's standing whatsoever is not permitted by him, and it's forcing his attorneys to paint his character as nearly flawless.

"Therefore, you have a whole narrative of, 'Oh, she was just there for 'The Apprentice' — you add that up with McDougal and everything they have to deny because Trump is their client and they have to substantiate what he's done before, and the weight of it is just too much to bear."

The result could hurt Trump's chances to relate with the jury.

He said the jurors "will say, 'Not all these things can be lies!' And given the way they have defended it, that makes the whole case very hard to defend."

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