Cohen: Trump 'doesn't have a sense of humor,' isn't joking about being POTUS for '12 more years'


President Trump is dead serious when he says he wants to be in the White House for 12 more years, Michael Cohen, his former personal attorney and fixer, said on Tuesday.
Cohen's new book about his time working for Trump, Disloyal: A Memoir, was published Tuesday, and he appeared on MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Show to discuss it. Cohen said Trump has changed dramatically and is "not the same person I knew going back years ago. He was always gruff, he was always a certain way, but the power he now has has gone to his head."
Above all else, Trump wants to be an "autocrat," Cohen said. "He wants to be the president for life. He wants to be just like [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, just like [North Korean leader] Kim Jong Un, just like [Venezuelan President Nicolás] Maduro, just like [Saudi Crown Prince] Mohammad bin Salman. He craves this. He doesn't want to run for president, and that's why he says, 'What about 12 more years, 12 more years.' He's not joking."
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.
Trump isn't capable of wisecracking because he "doesn't have a sense of humor," Cohen said. "He doesn't laugh, he doesn't tell jokes, he doesn't have a sense of humor. He means it when he says it." Cohen likened Trump to a "cult leader," and said he wrote Disloyal in an attempt to "really open the eyes of the 38 percent, the base of his, that no matter what Donald Trump does, it's acceptable to them. He doesn't care and they don't care. He wasn't joking again when he said that he could kill somebody on 5th Avenue and get away with it. He means it." Catherine Garcia
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
The app tackling porn addiction
Under the Radar Blending behavioural science with cutting-edge technology, Quittr is part of a growing abstinence movement among men focused on self-improvement
-
Magazine solutions - August 29, 2025
Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - August 29, 2025
-
Magazine printables - August 29, 2025
Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - August 29, 2025
-
Third judge rejects DOJ's Epstein records request
Speed Read Judge Richard Berman was the third and final federal judge to reject DOJ petitions to unseal Epstein-related grand jury material
-
Texas OKs gerrymander sought by Trump
Speed Read The House approved a new congressional map aimed at flipping Democratic-held seats to Republican control
-
Israel starts Gaza assault, approves West Bank plan
Speed Read Israel forces pushed into the outskirts of Gaza City and Netanyahu's government gave approval for a settlement to cut the occupied Palestinian territory in two
-
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