Michael Cohen took aim at President Donald Trump Monday evening over Trump’s recent pardons of close allies, claiming he would have “received one” too if Cohen did not “speak truth to power.”
Cohen is a convicted felon and disbarred lawyer who served as the president’s personal attorney from 2006 to 2018. He was sentenced in 2018 to three years in federal prison after pleading guilty to campaign finance violations and tax evasion.
“I think it’s like make it rain, right? That’s all he’s doing,” Cohen told MSNBC host Ari Melber. “He’s taking political favors and money. By people, for the sole purpose of giving them pardons. He has usurped the fact there are people who should be receiving pardons.”
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“Do I think any of these people should be receiving pardons? Absolutely not. I think that Trump has just taken over the entire country. He wants to run it the same way that he ran the Trump organization. As if he owns the company. As if he owns the United States of America.” (RELATED: Joy Behar Asks Michael Cohen How To Make Americans Stop Loving Trump)
“You’re right, I would have received one had I agreed not to come out, not to speak truth to power,” he added. (RELATED: Tucker Reveals ‘Amusing’ Talk Reportedly Between Chris Cuomo And Michael Cohen)
Trump has pardoned over 20 individuals in recent weeks, including key characteristics in the Robert Mueller investigating such as Roger Stone, George Papadopoulos, Paul Manafort, Michael Flynn and Jared Kushner’s father, Charles.