As the first criminal trial of Donald Trump moves towards the end of testimony about his $130,000 payoff to porn star Stormy Daniels — thus interfering in the 2016 Presidential election — I spoke on Friday with Monocle Radio’s Georgina Godwin about the proceedings and a possible verdict.

Listen to Discussion from 2:49

It is a contest of evidence v. character. I think the Trump defense will find it difficult to push on a carefully-assembled case.

So what do you do? You have to dismantle Trump’s fixer Michael Cohen and put doubts in the jury’s mind.

I also comment on Vladimir Putin’s trip to China as Russia seeks support for its 27-month invasion of Ukraine, and on the incoherence and uncertainty of a Trump return to the White House: “Both Russia and China will try to exploit Trump to their advantage.”