Trump appears on Cohen's radio show
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Trump appeared on Michael Cohen's radio show Thursday, marking a public rapprochement. The interview lacked fireworks but signals a stunning truce between former enemies.
Background
Donald Trump and Michael Cohen were once close, but their relationship collapsed in 2018 when Cohen pleaded guilty to campaign finance and other crimes, implicating Trump. Cohen later testified against Trump and called him a 'Cheeto-dusted cartoon villain.' After years of animosity, they began reconciling in 2025, and Cohen launched a radio show on WABC with White House blessing. Their public interview marks a dramatic thaw.
How it unfolded
- 2018Cohen pleads guilty to campaign finance, tax, and banking crimes, implicating Trump and breaking with him publicly.
- Summer 2025Trump and Cohen meet at Trump's golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, their first known contact in years.
- Jul 13, 2026Cohen announces his new radio show on WABC, with hints that Trump might appear.
- Aug 19, 2026Reports confirm Trump will appear on Cohen's show; Cohen teases the interview as a 'first public conversation' between them.
- Aug 20, 2026Trump appears on Cohen's radio show in a taped interview airing Thursday evening and Sunday.
Who’s saying what
- Cohen
- Cohen calls Trump a 'friend for 15 years' and promotes the interview as a historic reconciliation.
- Observers
- The interview is seen as a stunning public rapprochement, with Cohen joining a list of former foes welcomed back into Trump's orbit.
Still unverified
The exact content of the interview was not disclosed beforehand; Cohen declined to say whether he considers Trump a friend again, saying 'Why don't you listen to the show?'