Michael Cohen, former President Donald Trump’s former attorney and a key witness in the Manhattan district attorney’s probe claimed on Thursday that he believed Trump is “petrified” over his indictment.
On Thursday, Trump was indicted on criminal charges over his role in the $130,000 hush money payment made on his behalf to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election. In an interview with MSNBC, Cohen claimed that Trump must be “petrified.” This statement was made only a few minutes after news outlets started reporting about the indictment. Cohen suggested that one of Trump’s greatest fears was potentially being called out over “who and what he is.”
Cohen had served as Trump’s attorney and fixer prior to pleading guilty in 2018 to campaign finance violations connected to the hush money payment made to Daniel in exchange for her silence over her alleged affair with Trump. On Thursday, Cohen argued that he had done what he was directed to do by Trump. He added that he had been “forced to plead guilty” and that he was charged, fined, and sentenced to prison for his connection to this case.
He added that following Trump’s indictment this is a “very important day for … justice and also for accountability.”
Trump has repeatedly claimed that the case was politically driven, and on Thursday in a statement dismissed the charges claiming they were “political persecution.” He further claimed that the Democrats had been weaponizing the system against their political opponent.
