Comments by "Peter deWolf" (@StoneShards) on "Audio expert examines Trump-Cohen tape" video.

  1. Excellent hearing, and I hear the same thing. The important thing about that upward inflection you mentioned is that it indicates a query; it's a questioning tone. Trump is anticipating Cohen's advice--not giving Cohen directives. When Cohen says "no, no, no", Trump says, "check", again with a hint of upward inflection. I'm not finding the CNN forensic guy very insightful.
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  2. Trump is drawing Cohen out, because Trump is a little impatient, so he guesses in anticipation, "pay in cash"; then Cohen, "no, no, no"; then Trump says "check" just before the end of the tape. Maybe he goes on to say more that someone doesn't want us to hear. But it's legitimate to talk about the method of payment because it's not a standard business transaction. There are legitimate reasons why the person getting the payment would prefer a more intimate payment than a check, something less real-world noisy. Cuomo gives raucous lip-service to trying to be fair, then fails in execution.
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