Michael Cohen, former personal attorney and fixer for Donald Trump, has conducted an interview with the former president, signaling a significant thaw in their relationship after years of public animosity. The conversation, which aired on a radio program, marked their first public dialogue in eight years.
During the interview on 77 WABC's "When You Know, You Know…" radio program, Cohen referred to Trump as "boss" and spoke of reconciliation. "Forgiveness isn’t about erasing history. It is about having the courage to decide that yesterday will no longer dictate tomorrow," Cohen said. He also reminisced about his time by Trump's side, asking, "remember when I was by your side?"
Trump, in turn, told Cohen, "They weaponized you like nobody’s ever been weaponized," and stated, "I respect the fact that you recanted everything you said." Cohen's recantation refers to his past testimony against Trump in various legal proceedings.
The public thawing of their relationship follows Cohen's claim in January 2026 that he felt pressured by New York prosecutors to provide testimony against Trump, should Trump be re-elected. Cohen also revealed in a separate CNN interview that he had submitted a pardon application to the Trump administration but had not directly discussed it with the former president. He noted that a similar request to the Biden administration was denied.
The interview also featured themes familiar to Trump's public discourse, including criticisms of the media and claims about his administration's achievements. Cohen also offered suggestions on how the administration could improve its communication strategies.
Cohen's relationship with Trump deteriorated significantly after 2018, when he pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations related to his work as Trump's personal attorney, receiving a three-year prison sentence. The following year, Cohen testified before Congress, alleging that Trump had reimbursed him for a hush-money payment made to a former adult film star. He subsequently testified in criminal and civil trials regarding the payment and Trump's business dealings. Cohen also publicly criticized Trump in his 2020 memoir, "Disloyal."