Trump and Cohen Reunite for Radio Interview, Criticizing Mainstream Media

President Donald Trump joined his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen for a radio interview on Thursday, marking their first public conversation in nearly ten years. During the discussion, Trump stated that Cohen was "weaponized" against him by the mainstream media.

Cohen, who has since become a vocal critic of Trump before their recent reconciliation, recalled a 2016 interview on CNN with host Brianna Keilar. He recounted how Keilar presented him with poll numbers suggesting Trump was trailing, to which Cohen famously responded, "says who?" He described the subsequent media coverage as an unprecedented weaponization.

"They weaponized you like nobody's ever been weaponized, like few have been," Trump told Cohen during the interview. "Mine was at a level that nobody's ever seen before, but they weaponized you, they weaponized a lot of people, and I respect the fact that you recanted everything you said. That's a big thing that you did."

Cohen also shared a memory of Trump's reaction shortly after the CNN interview, quoting him as saying, "F--- them, you're stronger than them, we've got this."

Both men criticized the accuracy and fairness of media polling and reporting. Cohen noted that outlets like CNN and MSNBC continue to present unfavorable favorability numbers for Trump. Trump specifically targeted The New York Times, calling the publication "so dishonest" and suggesting that many media outlets have lost credibility.

"The polls are crooked. So the reporters that, you know, are crooked, many of them. You have some great ones too. But for the most part … when you read The New York Times, it’s so dishonest," Trump stated. He did acknowledge that "great journalists" and "great reporters" exist, but chose not to name them to avoid omissions.

The interview, which lasted 40 minutes, will be aired in two parts, with the second installment scheduled for Cohen's Sunday show. This marks a significant public engagement between Trump and Cohen, who was a key witness in several New York legal cases against the former president.