Donald Trump and Michael Cohen will hold their first public conversation in nearly a decade on Thursday evening, as the former president appears on Cohen’s WABC radio program. The taped interview, lasting 40 minutes, marks a notable shift in their relationship following years of public conflict and legal battles.
Trump confirmed for Cohen’s radio show
Michael Cohen announced on social media and to CBS News that Trump would appear on his program, When You Know, You Know, airing Thursday at 6 p.m. ET and again Sunday on 770 WABC. Cohen described the conversation as the first public exchange between the two men since their professional and personal relationship collapsed in 2018. He stated he had personally reached out to the White House to extend the invitation, which Trump accepted.
Background of the feud
Cohen, Trump’s former personal attorney, once described himself as willing to "take a bullet" for the former president. Their relationship deteriorated after Cohen pleaded guilty in August 2018 to eight criminal counts, including campaign finance violations, for orchestrating payments to silence women alleging affairs with Trump during the 2016 election. Cohen served a three-year prison sentence and later became a key witness in Trump’s 2024 criminal trial, where Trump was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to the hush money payments. Trump has denied the affair and is appealing the conviction.
Cohen has since criticized prosecutors, alleging he was pressured into testifying against Trump. In a Substack post, he framed the upcoming interview as a moment of reconciliation, stating, "We forgave."
Reactions and public response
Cohen acknowledged receiving significant backlash since announcing the interview, including hate mail and criticism from those who opposed the reconciliation. He referenced social media posts from critics, some of whom identified as religious, questioning the timing and nature of the reunion. Cohen did not address whether he sought a presidential pardon for his role in the 2016 payments.
The White House has not publicly commented on the interview or Cohen’s statements regarding the event.