Trump says Michael Cohen is lying about lying to Congress


President Trump is asserting that his former lawyer Michael Cohen's admission that he lied to Congress is, itself, a lie.
Cohen on Thursday pleaded guilty to making false statements to Congress, saying he lied by claiming that talks of building a Trump Tower in Moscow ended in January 2016 when they actually continued until June, reports The Associated Press. Trump in response told reporters that Cohen, who was "convicted of various things unrelated to us," is trying to reduce his sentence by "making up a story" about "a project that everybody knew about." The potential deal with Russia, Trump insisted, was "a well known project." Although Trump did not go through with the deal, he argued that even if he did, "there would have been nothing wrong."
When Trump was asked why he employed Cohen for over a decade when he's supposedly so weak and dishonest, Trump said "a long time ago, he did me a favor," not offering any further explanation.
Subscribe to 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.
Thursday's developments came after Cohen had previously pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations and implicated Trump in court, after which Trump said on Twitter he would "strongly suggest" not retaining his former lawyer's services. Watch Trump's comments on Cohen below. Brendan Morrow
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Court says labor board's structure unconstitutional
Speed Read The ruling has broad implications for labor rights enforcement in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi
-
Feds seek harsh charges in DC arrests, except for rifles
Speed Read The DOJ said 465 arrests had been made in D.C. since Trump federalized law enforcement there two weeks ago
-
Trump taps Missouri AG to help lead FBI
Speed Read Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has been appointed FBI co-deputy director, alongside Dan Bongino
-
Trump warms to Kyiv security deal in summit
Speed Read Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Trump's support for guaranteeing his country's security 'a major step forward'
-
DC protests as Trump deployment ramps up
Speed Read Trump's 'crusade against crime' is targeting immigrants and the homeless
-
Ukraine, European leaders to meet Trump after Putin talks
Speed Read Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy today following talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week
-
Border agents crash Newsom redistricting kickoff
Speed Read Armed federal Border Patrol agents amassed outside the venue where the California governor and other Democratic leaders were gathered
-
Man charged for hoagie attack as DC fights takeover
Speed Read The Trump administration filed felony charges against a man who threw a Subway sandwich at a federal agent