We know what the prosecution’s story is in the Trump trial, but what will the defense say? As far as I can tell, it has two wildly different potential defenses:
- The case against Trump is a pack of lies from beginning to end. There was no affair and no payment of hush money. Trump is as innocent as the driven snow.
- There was an affair and a payment of hush money, but it wasn’t motivated by any political concerns. As a result, there is no legal tie to a felony, and even if the records were falsified, it was only a misdemeanor.
My guess is that Trump will prefer #1, which is consistent with his public comments on the matter, but his lawyers will prefer #2. Who will win this battle? We’ll see.