National political news took a surprising turn on Thursday when former President Donald Trump agreed to a 40‑minute taped interview on former personal attorney Michael Cohen’s radio program on New York’s WABC. The conversation will be broadcast Thursday evening and represents the first public dialogue between the two men since their acrimonious split more than eight years ago.
Background of the feud
Michael Cohen served as Trump’s personal lawyer 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 campaign‑finance violations tied to a payment scheme meant to silence women who claimed affairs with Trump during the 2016 election. Cohen’s testimony later made him the key witness in Trump’s 2024 New York criminal trial, which resulted in a conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to hush‑money payments to adult‑film performer Stormy Daniels. Trump denied the affair, received no jail time, and is currently appealing the conviction.
During the years that followed, Trump repeatedly called Cohen a “rat” and a liar, while Cohen accused Trump’s allies of pressuring him to testify. Cohen also published two memoirs, Disloyal and Revenge, chronicling his grievances.
Steps toward reconciliation
According to Cohen, the thaw began after a text message was sent to him by an unnamed “White House friend and insider” relaying a message from the president. Cohen said the message expressed Trump’s “genuine empathy for the hell that I was being dragged through.” He replied with a hope that their long feud could end, and the insider responded that a meeting was appropriate.
Sources close to the matter say the two men have met privately at Trump’s Bedminster, New Jersey golf club on several occasions over the past year. Those meetings appear to have paved the way for the upcoming on‑air conversation.
The upcoming interview
Cohen told CNN the interview lasted about 40 minutes and will be aired Thursday evening. He previewed the discussion 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?”
The interview is expected to cover the hush‑money case, Cohen’s prison experience, and the broader political fallout from their rivalry. No official statement has been released by Trump’s legal team regarding the interview’s content.
Implications
While the conversation is primarily a media event, it may signal a shift in the political dynamics surrounding Trump’s ongoing legal battles. Observers note that a public reconciliation could influence public perception of both men, especially among Trump’s base and the broader electorate that continues to follow the former president’s legal challenges.
For now, listeners will have to wait until the broadcast to hear whether the two former allies can find common ground or simply use the platform to reiterate their long‑standing positions.
Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.
