Trump tells Cohen he was ‘weaponized’ in feud
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Provpnadvice.com – In a newly released clip from an upcoming interview, Trump tells Cohen he was weaponized by government officials who pressured him to testify in the 2024 New York hush money trial. The president’s remarks, shared Thursday ahead of the full conversation airing on Michael Cohen’s 77 WABC radio show, mark a notable softening in the years-long public feud between the two men and signal a tentative thaw in a relationship that had been defined by open hostility since 2018.
“They weaponized government against you and against others, Michael. There were plenty of others too, and it’s a disgrace,” Trump said in the clip. “I think it’s so amazing that you came out, and you told the story, and people respect you for doing it.”
The Feud Behind the Reconciliation
The rift between the president and his former personal attorney dates to 2018, when Cohen pleaded guilty in Manhattan federal court to eight criminal counts tied to a payment scheme designed to silence women who alleged affairs with Trump. Cohen subsequently became a central witness at the New York criminal trial in which Trump was convicted in 2024 on 34 counts of falsifying business records linked to payments made to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels. The trial and its aftermath turned a private working relationship into one of the most visible personal conflicts in American politics.
Earlier this year, Cohen alleged that New York Attorney General Letitia James and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg pressured him to deliver testimony unfavorable to his former client. “I felt compelled and coerced to deliver what they were seeking,” Cohen wrote in a Substack post. “Letitia James and Alvin Bragg may not share the same office, but they share the same playbook.” Those claims set the stage for the conciliatory tone Trump struck in the newly released clip, in which he told Cohen he was weaponized by the very institutions Cohen accused of coercion.
“I truly believe that there is forgiveness between Donald Trump and myself, and that to me is what is important right now.”
Cohen made those remarks in an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper ahead of the clip’s Thursday release. He described the relationship as having been “resuscitated” and confirmed that he has submitted a pardon application during Trump’s second term, though he said he has not asked the president directly about the request and has not yet received confirmation that the White House has logged the filing. The attorney indicated he would follow up on the matter on Friday.
In other segments of the WABC conversation shared Thursday, Trump defended his administration’s military operations in Iran and pushed back on what he characterized as unfavorable polling. “I think that we’re doing really well in the polls — the real polls,” the president said. “If I were running today, I think I’d win by 25 points. I think we’d win by a lot.”
The full interview will air Sunday on Cohen’s radio program. The exchange underscores how quickly the tone between the two men shifted from open hostility to what Cohen now frames as mutual forgiveness, even as the pardon question remains unresolved and the broader political fallout from the hush money case continues to shape both their public narratives.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly did Trump say about Cohen in the interview clip?
Trump told Cohen he was weaponized by government actors and called the experience “a disgrace.” He praised Cohen for coming forward publicly and said people respect him for telling his story, framing the episode as an injustice inflicted on both men.
When will the full interview air?
The complete conversation will be broadcast on Sunday on Cohen’s 77 WABC radio show. Selected clips were released Thursday to preview the discussion.
Has Cohen received a pardon yet?
No. Cohen confirmed he submitted a pardon application during Trump’s second term but said he has not received a response and has not asked the president directly about the request. He plans to follow up on the filing on Friday.
What was the original basis of the feud?
The conflict began after Cohen’s 2018 guilty plea to eight federal counts and his role as a key witness at Trump’s 2024 New York hush money trial, where the president was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records connected to payments to Stormy Daniels.
