Former President Donald Trump has allegedly questioned his attorney Todd Blanche for not being "aggressive" enough, according to a report from The New York Times published on Tuesday.
Blanche is representing Trump in his hush money trial in New York City. In this case, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg charged Trump with falsifying business documents in connection to a payment allegedly made to adult film actor Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign to prevent her from speaking publicly about her claims of having an affair with him.
Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges in the case and has denied having an affair with Daniels. He has accused Bragg of targeting him for political purposes, equating the trial with a form of election interference.
According to the new article, which cited anonymous sources, Trump's frustration has also extended to his own legal team including Blanche.
Trump has expressed frustration with Blanche for being "insufficiently aggressive," according to the article. Trump reportedly wants him to attack trial witnesses, the jury pool and Judge Juan Merchan, who is overseeing the ongoing trial. He has also questioned why his lawyers are so expensive.
"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," the article reads.
Trump adviser Jason Miller responded to the report in a statement sent to Newsweek Tuesday morning.
"President Trump and his legal team are fully focused on fighting this ridiculous Manhattan trial, which now includes an unconstitutional Gag Order depriving him of his First Amendment rights. Anonymous comments from people who aren't in the room are just that - anonymous comments from people who aren't in the room. I would be highly skeptical of any gossip or hearsay surrounding this case," he wrote.
Trump legal spokesperson Alina Habba told the Times that Blanche is a "crucial part" of the legal team.
Newsweek reached out to Trump's campaign, Blanche and Habba for comment via email.
Blanche has faced scrutiny from Merchan. Last week, the judge warned Blanche that he was "losing all credibility right now" during a hearing about whether Trump violated a gag order through his posts to Truth Social, according to Newsweek's Katherine Fung, who reported from inside the courtroom.
On Tuesday, Merchan ruled against Trump and Blanche for violating the gag order, fining the former president $9,000.
Blanche was brought onto Trump's legal team in April 2023, after he was charged in the hush money case. He is a former federal prosecutor who has experience in white-collar defense cases, previously working as a partner at law firm Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft before joining Trump's team.
He previously represented Paul Manafort, a former Trump campaign chairman sentenced to prison for various financial crimes including tax fraud.
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Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. ... Read more
