Former President Donald Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche, is attempting to leverage a distinctive ‘New York state of mind’ to win over the jury in his client’s ongoing hush-money lawsuit. In an interesting strategic move during his opening statement, Blanche called upon the common sense of New York residents. He is quoted as stating, “Use your common sense. We’re New Yorkers. It’s why we’re here. If you do that, there will be a very swift not guilty verdict.”
The nature of this case is based around alleged hush-money and the defence Blanche is building attempts to nullify its importance. His strategy, it would appear, weighs on the shared values, understanding, and spirit of the place witnesses and jurors call home: New York.
Notably, this approach marks a departure from more conventional defense strategies, placing a heavy emphasis on local identity rather than legal arguments per se.
For a media overview of Trump’s hush-money trial and the emerging defense approach, Above the Law provided a succinct summary.