This morning, Donald Trump stood on the White House lawn during an unannounced media appearance where he tried to put some daylight between himself and his longtime personal attorney, Michael Cohen. For the first time, Trump revealed Michael Cohen is no longer his attorney. Here’s that brief clip of Trump distancing himself and claiming he’s not worried. He’s not worried the guy he relied upon to threaten and silence accusers, the guy he used to threaten reporters, the guy who moved money around to pay off accusers and create shady real estate (money laundering) deals, he’s not worried about that guy flipping on him. Not. At. All.
Within hours after that impromptu press gaggle on the White House lawn, CNN is reporting that Michael Cohen is indeed ready to sing.
President Donald Trump's personal attorney Michael Cohen has indicated to family and friends he is willing to cooperate with federal investigators to alleviate the pressure on himself and his family, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Cohen has expressed anger with the treatment he has gotten from the President, who has minimized his relationship with Cohen, and comments from the President's lawyer Rudy Giuliani, the source said. The treatment has left him feeling isolated and more open to cooperating, the source said.
Only nine months ago, Michael Cohen told Vanity Fair he’d “take a bullet” for Donald Trump and that he would “never walk away” from the family.
Of course, Cohen can walk away at any point. “I’d never walk away,” he responded, over and over, when I raised the point. Even at the expense of his family? “I’d never walk away.”
Says who, bro!
At the time, Cohen was publicly pining for Donald Trump to invite him to work in the Oval Office so he could protect him, just like the good ol’ days of “fixing” Trump’s problems back at Trump Tower.
“At times I wish I were there in D.C. more, sitting with him in the Oval Office, like we used to at Trump Tower, to protect him,” he said. “I feel guilty that he’s in there right now almost alone, especially now that Keith has resigned,” he said. (Cohen was referring to Trump’s longtime bodyguard and confidante, Keith Schiller, who is reportedly leaving the White House.) “There are guys who are very loyal to him that would have gone in, but there was a concerted effort by high-ranking individuals to keep out loyalists.” “At times I wish I were there in D.C. more, sitting with him in the Oval Office, like we used to at Trump Tower, to protect him,” he said. “I feel guilty that he’s in there right now almost alone, especially now that Keith has resigned,” he said. (Cohen was referring to Trump’s longtime bodyguard and confidante, Keith Schiller, who is reportedly leaving the White House.) “There are guys who are very loyal to him that would have gone in, but there was a concerted effort by high-ranking individuals to keep out loyalists.”
In the end, who could blame Cohen for flipping? Donald Trump isn’t loyal to anyone but himself. Maybe Cohen would still take a bullet for Donald Trump. Maybe one to the pinky toe, or a graze across his arm. But it doesn’t appear likely Michael Cohen plans to do hard time, possibly a life sentence for the man. And why should he?