Back in April, the FBI raided the hotel room, office and home and Michael Cohen, President Trump’s former personal attorney. Monday morning, ABC News spoke with Cohen in his first interview since the raid, and he had a lot to say.
The FBI started investigating Cohen after it came to light that the lawyer paid porn star Stormi Daniels (aka Stephanie Clifford) $130,000 before the presidential election in 2016 to keep her quiet about an alleged affair she had with Trump. It was later revealed (although earlier Trump claimed that he knew nothing about the payment) that the president reimbursed Cohen for the payments, putting him in some potential legal trouble.
Cue FBI investigation.
While many expected the fiercely loyal Cohen to defend Trump in the interview, he ended up doing the opposite. In the past Cohen said he “would take a bullet for the president,” but now insists that he’s cooperating completely with the FBI investigation, even if what he reveals reflects badly on Trump.
Spent Saturday afternoon with @GStephanopoulos @abc (not on camera) interview for Monday’s @GMA. My silence is broken! pic.twitter.com/ed6WRYpvVA
— Michael Cohen (@MichaelCohen212) July 2, 2018
He told George Stephanopoulos in the exclusive ABC interview that his highest loyalty is not to the president. If he had to choose between the president and his family, he would without a doubt chose his family. “My wife, my daughter and my son have my first loyalty and always will…I put family and country first” Cohen said.
Cohen even explicitly disagreed with Trump’s criticism of the FBI’s investigation into the Stormi Daniels payment as well as into Russia’s alleged interference in the presidential election. “I don’t agree with those who demonize or vilify the FBI. I respect the FBI as an institution, as well as their agents,” he said. “When they searched my hotel room and my home, it was obviously upsetting to me and my family. Nonetheless, the agents were respectful, courteous and professional. I thanked them for their service and as they left, we shook hands.” He claims that he is cooperating completely in both investigations.
Although Cohen did not directly talk about his innocence, or lack thereof, in the matters he’s under investigation for, he was adamant about that fact that he would not allow himself to take the fall for Trump’s actions. “I will not be a punching bag as part of anyone’s defense strategy. I am not a villain of this story, and I will not allow others to try to depict me that way” he said.
Cohen said he’s hoping that a resolution will come out of this interview with ABC.
He told Stephanopoulos, “I want to regain my name and my reputation and my life back.”