Trump and Cohen: From ‘Rat’ to Reconciliation and a Recantation Claim

The political world is buzzing after Donald Trump and his onetime personal attorney and self-described 'fixer,' Michael D. Cohen, publicly reconciled, culminating in an August 20, 2026, radio appearance. This unexpected turn saw Trump claim Cohen had 'just fully RECANTED his testimony' regarding the legal cases against him, a move that could significantly impact ongoing political and legal battles.

What led to Cohen's turn from critic to conciliator?

Michael Cohen, who began working for Trump in the mid-2000s, famously broke ties with the former president in 2018. He subsequently pleaded guilty to federal crimes and served a three-year prison sentence. Cohen's testimony was central to the New York hush money case, where Trump was convicted in May 2024 on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to a $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and payments involving former Playboy model Karen McDougal. Despite the contentious past, including Trump's lawyer Todd Blanche calling Cohen the "GLOAT" (greatest liar of all time) in court, a path to reconciliation began to emerge.

When did the reconciliation between Trump and Cohen begin?

The highly improbable reconciliation started quietly with a meeting last summer (2025) at Trump's members-only golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. This was followed by a longer, more personal encounter earlier this year (2026) at Mar-a-Lago. These private discussions laid the groundwork for a public rapprochement. In July 2026, Cohen told a radio interviewer (Catsimatidis) that Trump had texted him back and it was "actually time for us to meet," adding, "We are reconciling. We are putting the past aside and moving forward," while noting that "forgiveness doesn't require amnesia."

What did Donald Trump claim about Cohen's testimony?

On August 20, 2026, Trump appeared on Cohen's radio show, marking their first public exchange in eight years. During the interview, Trump stated, "They weaponized you like nobody's ever been weaponized, like few have been," and remarked, "I respect the fact that you recanted everything you said. And that's a big — that's a big thing that you did. That's a very big thing." Cohen responded on his show, acknowledging their "pretty rocky road together" and confirming, "The answer is that we forgave."

Further amplifying these claims, Trump posted on Truth Social on September 4, 2026, that Cohen, the "Prosecution's Star Witness and, in actuality, only Witness" in the New York cases, had "just fully RECANTED his testimony." Trump asserted Cohen was "'pressured' and 'coerced' to say things that were not true" and thanked Cohen "for having the Wisdom and Courage to step forward and do the right thing." He also demanded the cases brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and New York Attorney General Letitia James be "immediately terminated and dismissed."

Has Michael Cohen confirmed a full recantation?

While Trump's claims are emphatic, Cohen's previous public statements offer a nuanced picture. In January 2026, Cohen published a Substack article claiming he "felt pressured and coerced" by prosecutors. However, on February 3, 2026, he appeared on "The Dan Abrams Show" and forcefully rejected any suggestion his testimony was untruthful, stating it was "truthful and accurate." On August 31, 2026, Cohen published another Substack article defending his claim of having felt exploited for political purposes and warning against "weaponizing the justice system."

As of the New York Times article published on September 6, 2026, the Manhattan DA's office had not immediately responded to a request for comment regarding Trump's claims of recantation. Justice Juan Merchan had granted Trump an unconditional discharge in the hush money case in January 2025, following his May 2024 conviction.

Following Trump's Truth Social post, his legal team submitted a four-page court filing on September 4, 2026, seeking an order for the Attorney General's office to identify and preserve any communications with Cohen, signaling an intent to leverage the claimed recantation in ongoing legal challenges, including against the overturned $454 million civil fraud penalty.