Michael Cohen is reportedly 'not counting on' a pardon from Trump if he's convicted
Michael Cohen, who once said that he would "take a bullet" for President Trump, isn't counting on the president reciprocating those fuzzy feelings.
Trump's former lawyer is under criminal investigation, and it appears federal investigators are diving deep into his past and his business dealings. While he hasn't been indicted, Cohen seems to be anticipating a rocky path ahead. A friend of Cohen's told CNN that Cohen isn't expecting to receive a presidential pardon from Trump, and he's apparently just pessimistically waiting to be arrested.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"His mindset is of someone who is operating under the assumption that he is not getting that, though of course he doesn't know one way or the other," another source told CNN. Trump last month said he "hasn't even thought about" pardoning Cohen, noting that he hadn't been convicted of anything. Cohen sparked debate over whether he might flip on the president when he told ABC News that his loyalty lies with his "family and country" over Trump. "He's certain in his mind that he has been dismissed" by the president, said his friend. Read more at CNN.
-
5 fairly vain cartoons about Vanity Fair’s interviews with Susie WilesCartoon Artists take on demolition derby, alcoholic personality, and more
-
Joanna Trollope: novelist who had a No. 1 bestseller with The Rector’s WifeIn the Spotlight Trollope found fame with intelligent novels about the dramas and dilemmas of modern women
-
Codeword: December 20, 2025The daily codeword puzzle from The Week
-
Trump HHS moves to end care for trans youthSpeed Read The administration is making sweeping proposals that would eliminate gender-affirming care for Americans under age 18
-
Jack Smith tells House of ‘proof’ of Trump’s crimesSpeed Read President Donald Trump ‘engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election,’ hoarded classified documents and ‘repeatedly tried to obstruct justice’
-
House GOP revolt forces vote on ACA subsidiesSpeed Read The new health care bill would lower some costs but not extend expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies
-
Hegseth rejects release of full boat strike footageSpeed Read There are calls to release video of the military killing two survivors of a Sept. 2 missile strike on an alleged drug trafficking boat
-
Trump vows naval blockade of most Venezuelan oilSpeed Read The announcement further escalates pressure on President Nicolás Maduro
-
Kushner drops Trump hotel project in SerbiaSpeed Read Affinity Partners pulled out of a deal to finance a Trump-branded development in Belgrade
-
Senate votes down ACA subsidies, GOP alternativeSpeed Read The Senate rejected the extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits, guaranteeing a steep rise in health care costs for millions of Americans
-
Abrego García freed from jail on judge’s orderSpeed Read The wrongfully deported man has been released from an ICE detention center
