New York‑based radio host Michael Cohen is set to welcome former President Donald Trump on his WABC program Thursday evening for a taped interview lasting about 40 minutes. The conversation will be the first public exchange between the two men since their relationship collapsed more than eight years ago.
Background of the feud
Michael Cohen served as Trump’s personal attorney and, in his own words, a “pit bull” for the campaign. In August 2018 he pleaded guilty in Manhattan federal court to eight criminal counts, including conspiracy and campaign‑finance violations tied to a payment scheme intended to silence women who claimed affairs with Trump during the 2016 election. Cohen’s testimony later became a cornerstone of the New York criminal trial that resulted in Trump’s 2024 conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to the hush‑money payments to adult‑film performer Stormy Daniels. Trump denied the affair, received no jail time, and is currently appealing the conviction.
From hostility to tentative reconciliation
After the trial, Trump repeatedly referred to Cohen as a “rat” and a liar, while Cohen asserted that he had once been willing to take a bullet for the president. Over the past year, the two have met privately at Trump’s Bedminster, New Jersey golf club, according to a source familiar with the meetings.
Cohen says a “White House friend and insider” relayed a text from the president expressing empathy for the hardships Cohen has endured. Cohen thanked the messenger and expressed hope that their long‑standing feud could end. The president reportedly responded quickly, agreeing that a meeting was appropriate.
The upcoming interview
During the Thursday broadcast, Trump and Cohen will discuss their shared history, the legal battles that divided them, and whether forgiveness can bridge the gap created by years of animosity. Cohen previewed the interview on social media, writing, “After years of betrayal, heartbreak, fury, and silence, two men who once stood together against the world face the impossible question: Can forgiveness resurrect what hatred destroyed?”
Implications
The interview is notable for several reasons. It offers a rare public platform for both men to address the lingering questions surrounding the hush‑money scandal, the 2024 conviction, and the broader political fallout. It also signals a possible shift in how former allies handle personal and legal disputes in the public arena.
Listeners in the New York metropolitan area and across the nation will hear the conversation when it airs on WABC, a station known for its talk‑radio format. The interview may influence public perception of both figures as they continue to navigate the legal and political landscapes that have defined their recent years.
Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.
