Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s former attorney and “fixer,” has publicly expressed a shift in his stance toward the president, referring to Trump as “boss” during a recent radio interview. The interview, which aired Thursday night, occurred as Cohen actively seeks a presidential pardon for his past criminal convictions, including tax evasion and campaign finance violations.
During the 15-minute segment on WABC-77 radio, Cohen reminisced about his time working alongside Trump, recalling his past role in analyzing polls. "Boss, you remember when I was by your side? I literally used to analyze the polls," Cohen said during the portion of the interview that aired. He also suggested to Trump that they hold a press conference to highlight accomplishments.
This public display of renewed cordiality marks a significant change from Cohen's previous public statements, where he had accused Trump of various wrongdoings. After pleading guilty and implicating Trump in illegal activities in 2018, Cohen had characterized the president as a “racist,” a “predator,” and a “fraud.” Cohen's testimony was instrumental in the Manhattan District Attorney's prosecution of Trump on 34 felony counts.
Moshe Cohen served prison time after admitting to concealing $4 million in income from the IRS and defrauding a bank to secure a $500,000 loan. He also pleaded guilty to a campaign finance violation related to hush money payments totaling $280,000 made to two women during the 2016 election cycle.
Recently, Cohen has aligned himself with Trump's narrative of facing a political “witch hunt,” stating that he felt “pressured and coerced” by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and New York Attorney General Letitia James to act against Trump.
Trump, in the same interview, acknowledged Cohen's recantation of past statements. “I respect the fact that you recanted everything you said, and that’s a big thing that you did,” Trump told Cohen.
Cohen confirmed his pursuit of a presidential pardon in a separate interview with CNN, stating his intention to contact the Justice Department on Friday. "I have not received an acknowledgement that they have the application, which is on my to-do list, which I intend to call tomorrow to find out what happened because I did send it by FedEx, so I do have a receipt," Cohen told CNN. He plans to ensure his pardon application is being processed. Moshe Cohen at the WABC radio studio. Youtube/77 WABC Radio and Michael Cohen