Trump and former fixer Michael Cohen make amends
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Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen departs from his home to attend his second day of testimony at Manhattan Criminal Court in 2024 in New York City. Photo: David Dee Delgado/Getty Images
President Trump signaled that he's welcomed his former fixer, Michael Cohen, back into his good graces in a remarkably friendly interview that aired in full on Sunday.
The big picture: The president and Cohen discussed a wide range of topics, including Trump's proposed ballroom, how the economy is doing during his second term and how so-called "weaponization" is destroying America.
- The interview is the first time Trump and Cohen have spoken publicly since the attorney was a key witness in the hush money trial that led to Trump's conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.
- Trump and Cohen have repeatedly traded barbs over each other's alleged wrongdoing. Cohen had previously called Trump a "conman" and a "predator," while the president said Cohen was a "rat."
What they're saying: But on Sunday, the two participated in an amicable conversation where Cohen repeatedly referred to the president as "boss" and the pair openly mulled why so many people in America despise Trump.
- They also discussed Cohen's role in the hush money trial, for which Trump blamed New York Attorney General Letitia James and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, saying they forced Cohen to testify against him.
- "They threatened you with everything if you didn't go against Trump, and you took it back. I wouldn't even be talking to you right now if you didn't," Trump said.
Zoom out: When asked by CNN's Jake Tapper last week if Cohen stood by his prior testimony that Trump directed him to commit crimes, he said "I will not discuss what I had said in the past, what I had stated under oath" and "[w]hat I said was said and that's where I stand with it."
- He also told CNN he'd submitted a pardon application to Trump's White House after saying the Biden administration denied it.
- Cohen wrote on his Substack earlier this year that he felt "pressured and coerced" by prosecutors to testify against Trump.
Catch up quick: Cohen went to prison during Trump's first term after paying Stormy Daniels $130,000 so she wouldn't discuss an alleged affair with Trump.
- He pleaded guilty in 2018 to eight counts related to tax fraud and campaign finance violations.
Zoom out: Asked by Tapper last week whether he still thinks Trump is a "racist and a conman and a cheat," Cohen declined to answer and repeatedly said he was focused on the future rather than the past.
- "How is it possible that the two of us can ever sit down again? … The answer is that we forgave," Cohen said, adding that he hasn't forgotten anything but is using "courage to stop allowing yesterday to dictate tomorrow."
Go deeper: What to know about Michael Cohen, who's testifying at Trump's hush money trial
