President Donald Trump made a notable appearance Thursday on a radio program hosted by Michael Cohen, his former personal lawyer and longtime political adversary, in what observers described as an unexpected public reconciliation between the two figures.
Cohen, who previously served prison time following legal proceedings related to campaign finance violations and other charges, has been a central figure in multiple cases against Trump. Most notably, Cohen served as a key prosecution witness in Trump’s 2024 criminal trial involving hush-money allegations, testimony that helped secure a 34-count felony conviction. Prior to that, Cohen had testified before Congress in 2019 regarding Trump’s financial practices and participated in a 2023 civil fraud trial in New York.
The radio interview, which aired in part Thursday evening on 77 WABC and was scheduled to air in full Sunday, proceeded in notably friendly fashion with limited discussion of the men’s contentious history. Trump characterized Cohen’s prior statements as recantations and expressed respect for that reversal. Cohen framed the reconciliation in terms of forgiveness, stating that moving forward did not require erasing the past or the harm that resulted from their split.
Cohen told CNN before the broadcast that he had resubmitted a pardon application to the White House that had previously been denied, indicating he planned to follow up on the matter. According to accounts, the two men have held multiple private conversations over the preceding year. Cohen has recently argued in public statements and writings that he felt pressured by prosecutors to provide testimony against Trump, positioning this view as foundational to their renewed relationship.
This reconciliation places Cohen among several Trump associates who experienced public disputes with the president before subsequently returning to favorable terms with him, though observers noted the rupture with Cohen had been particularly personal given his former role as one of Trump’s most trusted aides.
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