Donald Trump and Michael Cohen Publicly Reconcile on WABC Radio

President Donald Trump appeared on a 77 WABC radio program on August 20, 2026, hosted by his former personal attorney Michael Cohen. The interview marked the first public conversation between the two men in eight years, ending a bitter estrangement that began when Cohen served as a star witness in Trump's 2024 criminal trial, which resulted in 34 felony convictions for falsifying business records.

During the friendly exchange, Trump praised Cohen for recanting his previous testimonies, claiming that Cohen had been weaponized by officials. Cohen, who once called Trump a cartoon villain, referred to the president as boss and attributed their reconciliation to a shared experience of betrayal. While Trump stated he respected that Cohen recanted everything, other reports indicate Cohen has expressed misgivings about his testimony rather than providing a full recantation.

The reconciliation followed private meetings earlier in the year at Trump's golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, and in Florida. In a separate interview with CNN, Cohen revealed he has resubmitted a pardon application to the White House and intended to contact officials to ensure the application was being processed.

During the broadcast, Trump claimed he would win a hypothetical election by 25 points due to a strong economy. This assertion contrasted with a Reuters/Ipsos survey showing a 33 percent approval rating, the lowest of his presidency.