Michael Cohen, the former personal attorney for Donald Trump, confirmed he is scheduled to interview the president on his radio program. Cohen told CBS News that the event will mark their first public conversation in eight years. The interview is being recorded on a Thursday morning and is scheduled to air in segments during the evening and the following Sunday on New York’s 770am WABC station.
Cohen previously served as a close associate to Mr. Trump for over a decade, describing himself as a "permanent fixture" in the Trump Organization's office. The professional relationship dissolved during Mr. Trump’s first term in office amid investigations into a $130,000 payment Cohen made to adult film star Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 election. Cohen subsequently pleaded guilty in 2018 to financial crimes and lying to Congress, resulting in more than a year of imprisonment.
Following his release, Cohen became a vocal critic of the president, testifying against him in both civil and criminal proceedings in New York. His testimony contributed to Mr. Trump’s conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. Cohen previously expressed a desire to see the president imprisoned. However, Cohen stated that he reached out to the White House to request the interview and the president agreed to participate.
For the general public and legal observers, this interview marks a transition from adversarial testimony to a public dialogue. The scale of the shift is significant given that Cohen served prison time for crimes related to his work for Mr. Trump and later spent years as a prominent critic. The radio segments on WABC will provide the first public interaction between the two men since their falling out, moving their relationship from the courtroom and private communications back into a public, broadcasted format.
The outcome of this interview may influence public perception of the New York criminal case and future legal challenges involving the president. Cohen has also suggested he could serve as a "test case" for a Department of Justice "anti-weaponization" fund, indicating potential future involvement in policy debates regarding prosecutorial conduct. The recorded segments are scheduled to begin airing on a Thursday evening, with additional portions broadcast the following Sunday.