Politics · Trump-Cohen ReunionTrump and Cohen Reunite on Tape After 34-Count Case Split ThemAired August 22, 2026 at 8:21 AM UTCWritten September 7, 2026 at 9:22 PM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:00The president and the former [music]0:01fixer who became his star witness are0:03speaking again as allies on tape0:04together.0:05A newly recorded [music] friendly0:07interview between Donald Trump and0:08Michael Cohen was previewed and excerpts0:10released Thursday night, August 20, and0:11in a teaser, August 21, [music] 2026. It0:14is presented as their first conversation0:16since a bitter split that led to years0:18of public and legal feuding. The preview0:20is described both as a WABC radio0:22interview0:23>> [music]0:23>> and as a podcast with a full release0:25scheduled for a weekend broadcast. The0:27history behind that reunion stretches0:29[music] 18 years. Cohen started working0:31for Trump in 2006. In 2018, he pleaded0:35guilty to eight counts that implicated0:36Trump in a hush-money scheme [music] to0:38silence women before the 2016 election,0:40including adult film star Stormy Daniels0:42[music] and former Playboy model Karen0:44McDougal, and served more than a year in0:46federal prison. He later wrote the books0:48Disloyal and Revenge. In 2024, he0:51returned as the star witness at the0:53hush-money [music] trial that led to0:54Trump's conviction on 34 felony counts0:57of falsifying business records related0:58to Stormy Daniels. In the released1:00material, Cohen calls Trump boss, and1:02both men claim shared victimhood from1:04weaponization by the Justice Department,1:06[music]1:06naming New York Attorney General Letitia1:08James and Manhattan District Attorney1:10Alvin Bragg. That framing puts both1:12legal cases under the same explanation:1:14Cohen's 2018 eight-count plea and1:16imprisonment and Trump's 2024 [music]1:18conviction, rather than as adversarial1:20outcomes where one testified against the1:22other. [music]1:23There is no response from James or Bragg1:25in the released material to the1:26weaponization allegation or to the1:28coercion claim. 34 is the number that1:31ties them together.1:32>> [music]1:32>> The jury conviction on 34 felony counts1:34of falsifying business records turned on1:36Cohen's testimony about payments to1:38Daniels and to McDougal before the 20161:41election.1:42That figure is carried both in the1:44record of the case and in the preview of1:45the new interview.1:46>> [music]1:47>> The sharpest evidence of the shift is in1:49the exact words captured on the preview.1:51Trump is quoted telling Cohen he1:53respects that Cohen recanted everything1:55following Cohen's January 2026 post1:58saying he felt pressured and coerced by2:00James and Bragg to testify.2:02Cohen also disclosed on the interview2:04that he has resubmitted a pending pardon2:06application and said he and Trump have2:08met three times in the past year. No2:10grant, timeline, or scope for a pardon2:12has been announced and the dates,2:14locations, [music] and full substance of2:15those three meetings have not been2:16released. The next verified step is2:19Sunday, [music] August 24th, 2026 when2:21the full interview is slated for2:23release. That recording will determine2:25what else [music] was said beyond the2:26previewed lines including the full2:27context for the pardon disclosure and2:29the recanted everything exchange.2:31>> [music]2:31>> And what, if anything, was discussed2:33about clemency, testimony, or future2:34cooperation.2:35>> [music]2:35>> A public statement that the key witness2:37felt coerced and has now recanted does2:39not by itself vacate a verdict [music]2:41and a pardon, if granted, would address2:43the federal 2018 conviction that sent2:45Cohen to prison for more than a year and2:47would not directly reach [music] the2:48state 34-count conviction. Separately in2:51the same window, Trump announced via2:53social media post Friday morning [music]2:55tariff relief for some ground beef2:56imports intended to lower beef prices, a2:59plan described as under White House3:00consideration for months [music] as the3:02United States cattle herd has declined.3:04That action was reported August 21, 20263:07and [music] does not involve Cohen. What3:09remains unresolved is whether the3:10pending pardon will be granted and on3:12what timeline and scope, what the full3:14Sunday recording contains, what prompted3:16the reconciliation in those three3:18meetings, [music] and what specific3:19ground beef imports will receive relief3:21when it takes effect, and how much it3:23will lower prices.3:25Like and follow for more stories that3:27matter.Explore with HeyDexThe shortThe short ↗