President Donald Trump sat down for an unlikely interview with his former fixer Michael Cohen on Thursday, opening the conversation with a cordial greeting years after their once-close relationship spectacularly fell apart.
“Hello, Michael,” Trump said as the interview began on Cohen’s 77 WABC program.
The conversation brought the former allies back together following years of legal battles and public attacks. Additional portions of the interview are expected to air Sunday.
Cohen previously served as Trump’s personal attorney and fixer and was once considered one of his closest confidants. Their relationship collapsed in 2018 before Cohen pleaded guilty to multiple federal crimes and received a three-year prison sentence. He ultimately spent more than a year behind bars.
Cohen later became a key witness against Trump, including during the president’s 2024 hush-money trial, which ended with Trump being convicted on 34 felony counts.
More recently, however, Cohen has softened his position toward his former boss, saying he felt pressured by prosecutors as the pair began moving toward reconciliation.
Thursday’s interview fittingly opened with the song “Why Can’t We Be Friends?”
“The country is doing good,” Trump told Cohen.
“Thanks to you, Sir,” Cohen responded before asking Trump to think back to the 2016 presidential campaign, noting that the two men had “obviously traveled a pretty rocky road together.”
Cohen recalled a memorable CNN appearance from 2016 in which he was told Trump was “underwater in the polls.”
“Says who?” Cohen famously responded at the time.
Trump told his former attorney that he believed Cohen had subsequently been targeted.
“And then they weaponized you like nobody’s ever been weaponized — like few have been,” Trump said, referring to the media industry.
“Maybe just you and I, Sir,” Cohen replied.
Trump agreed that he had also faced similar treatment but argued his own experience had reached another level.
“I respect the fact that you recanted everything that you said, and that’s a big thing that you did,” Trump told Cohen.
Cohen then criticized CNN, saying the network had “never apologized” and accusing CNN, MS NOW and other left-leaning media outlets of continuing to focus on polling showing Trump underwater.
Trump pushed back on that characterization, claiming he is doing “really well” in what he called “the real polls.”
The interview comes as recent Reuters polling puts Trump’s approval rating at 33%, the lowest recorded for him in the history of that poll.
The cordial exchange marked a dramatic change from the years of bitter conflict between Trump and Cohen, who went from trusted attorney and fixer to government witness before more recently softening his stance toward the president.
More of the unusual reunion between the former allies is set to be broadcast Sunday on Cohen’s WABC program.
