Speed Reads

it's tough out there for a fixer

Friends say Michael Cohen feels he's being treated like he's 'disposable'

Like many people, the last time Michael Cohen felt any peace was in January 2017, before President Trump's inauguration.

That month, BuzzFeed News published the Steele dossier, which contained several claims about Cohen, Trump's longtime personal lawyer, specifically that he dealt with Russian operatives during the 2016 presidential campaign. Since then, it's been revealed that he paid adult film star Stormy Daniels $130,000 in exchange for her silence about an affair she said she had with Trump, and the FBI raided his office, home, and hotel room, armed with an array of search warrants. Friends told Vanity Fair that Cohen has been saying he's never felt more alone and is just "sitting here in a nightmare." Cohen has also said he's been isolated by Trump's inner circle, and he feels they are treating him like he's "disposable."

Friends have told Cohen there are signs that Trump is looking out for him, but also warn that while Cohen may have offered to take a bullet for Trump, Trump has never made a similar promise, and only looks out for himself. Since the raid, Cohen and his wife, Laura, have lost a combined 20 pounds, Vanity Fair reports, and every new report about Cohen hits his family hard. "I live for my wife and kids," he's told friends. "I'd die for my wife and my kids. And this is all ruining their lives." You can read more about Cohen's sad life at Vanity Fair.