In a striking turn of events, President Trump and his former personal attorney Michael Cohen have publicly reconciled, setting aside years of bitter legal and personal conflict. The two spoke during a recorded interview that aired in part Thursday on Cohen's radio show on 77 WABC in New York City, with the remaining segments scheduled for Sunday.
Trump, who once branded Cohen a liar and a traitor, expressed respect for Cohen's decision to retract his past accusations. "They weaponized you; they weaponized a lot of people, and I respect the fact that you recanted everything you said, and that's a big thing that you did," Trump said during the conversation.
Cohen, who served as Trump's fixer before becoming the star witness in the 2024 criminal hush money trial, admitted in court to arranging payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to conceal an alleged affair ahead of the 2016 election. His testimony was pivotal in securing Trump's conviction, yet he has since sought to rebuild ties with the president.
Last month, Cohen revealed on WABC's "Cats & Cosby" show that he received an unexpected text from Trump about six months ago. "Out of nowhere, when I was sitting with my wife at a restaurant, my phone buzzed and it was a text from that friend who expressed to me the president's genuine empathy for the hell that I was being dragged through," Cohen said. He added, "I actually texted the president. I thanked him. Expressed my sincere hope that this long, exhausting feud between the two of us could finally end."
Cohen claimed Trump replied "almost immediately" and suggested it was "actually time for us to meet." The radio segment opened with the song "Why Can't We Be Friends" by War, setting a tone of reconciliation.
During the interview, Trump weighed in on current polls and the economy, asserting that if he were running today, "I think I'd win by 25 points." He also touched on the Southern border, military operations in Venezuela and Iran, and his own foreign policy legacy. "Look, there would be no Israel if there was not a Donald Trump president," he said. "I believe the Middle East would have been entirely wiped out, but Israel."
The détente comes as Trump continues to navigate his second term, facing legal challenges and political battles. His executive orders are testing legal limits, and his administration has faced scrutiny over communications with officials like Kevin Warsh. The reconciliation with Cohen, once a key adversary, signals a possible shift in Trump's approach to old foes.
Cohen's role in the hush money case had made him a polarizing figure, but his recantation and the subsequent rapprochement with Trump have raised eyebrows among political observers. The full interview is expected to shed more light on the dynamics between the two men and their mutual assessments of the political landscape.
