Donald Trump has a problem with the legal strategy of his primary attorney in the criminal case he faces for an alleged hush money cover-up, according to Maggie Haberman of the New York Times Thursday.
In front of the jury, Trump has largely been respectful of the case being presented by his lawyer, Todd Blanche. But behind the scenes, he is pushing for his attorney to be more aggressive, the report stated.
"Donald J. Trump’s Manhattan criminal trial had barely begun when he started to turn his anger toward his lead lawyer, Todd Blanche," according to Haberman and Jonathan Swan's report. "Although Mr. Blanche has been Mr. Trump’s favorite lawyer for some time, behind closed doors and in phone calls, the former president has complained repeatedly about him in recent weeks, according to four people familiar with the situation."
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The report further states that Trump "has griped that Mr. Blanche, a former federal prosecutor and veteran litigator, has not been following his instructions closely, and has been insufficiently aggressive"
"Mr. Trump wants him to attack witnesses, attack what the former president sees as a hostile jury pool, and attack the judge, Juan M. Merchan," the article states. "Mr. Trump, who often complains about legal fees and sometimes refuses to pay them, has also wondered aloud why his lawyers cost so much, according to the people, who all spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive topic."
The report notes that "nearly every lawyer who has ever represented Mr. Trump has spent time in the blast zone."
"But as he enters the third week of his first criminal trial — one that not only threatens his campaign to become president again, but also could send him to prison — the question of whether his lawyers can win enough leeway from his desires has never loomed larger," it states.