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.

"I brought up the pardon, and he said, 'I don't think so. I just don't think so,'" Cohen's friend said. The former attorney also reportedly said "I don't know what to think anymore."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

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.

Sign up

"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.