In a significant development highlighting Donald Trump's continued influence over the Republican Party, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson has become the highest-ranking Republican to attend Trump's hush money trial. The trial, which centers around allegations of illegal hush money payments made to silence women who claimed to have had sexual encounters with the former president, has showcased Trump's firm grip on the GOP as the country approaches the November election.

On Tuesday, Trump's legal team began their rigorous cross-examination of former attorney Michael Cohen, the prosecution's star witness. They aimed to paint Cohen as a media-obsessed liar with a personal vendetta against the former president. Cohen had delivered significant testimony directly linking Trump to the hush money scheme.

Defense attorney Todd Blanche subjected Cohen to intense questioning, challenging his credibility and highlighting his history of falsehoods. The defense sought to portray Cohen as a staunchly loyal associate of Trump, insinuating that any crimes committed were on behalf of the former president.

During the cross-examination, Cohen admitted to having lied to Congress during a previous investigation into potential ties between Russia and the 2016 Trump campaign. Cohen's guilty plea was part of special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, in which he confessed to providing false information about his conversations with Trump regarding a real estate project in Moscow.

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger also raised concerns about Cohen's credibility by questioning whether he had lied during the former president's civil fraud trial last year. Cohen had previously denied tax evasion charges and admitted to lying to the judge who had accepted his guilty plea in 2018.

In response, Cohen acknowledged the facts of his guilty plea, but argued that he should not have been charged as a first-time offender who consistently paid his taxes on time.

Cohen, in his testimony, candidly admitted to repeatedly lying on behalf of Trump, including his involvement in the $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to keep her claims of a sexual encounter with Trump from going public just before the 2016 election.

The trial is set to continue, with Cohen returning to the witness stand for further cross-examination on Thursday. Prosecutors are expected to rest their case soon, as they allege a conspiracy to illegally influence the 2016 election by silencing women who had made accusations against Trump. The former president vehemently denies any wrongdoing or sexual encounters with the women involved.

As the trial unfolds and key takeaways are revealed, Trump's lawyers are utilizing Cohen's credibility issues to challenge his testimony and undermine the prosecution's case. The outcome of the trial could have significant implications for the former president and for the broader political landscape as the November election approaches.