Michael Cohen is set to interview President Trump on his WABC radio show Thursday evening, marking their first public conversation after years of bitter conflict—a stunning reversal for two men whose relationship once centered on Trump calling Cohen a “rat” and a “liar” following Cohen’s testimony against him.
The taped phone interview, which Cohen said lasted approximately 40 minutes, will air on WABC’s “When You Know…You Know” at 6 p.m. on August 20, 2026. Cohen launched his weekly show on the New York station in July after landing the gig with a White House backing that surprised many observers.
The reconciliation between the two men began unexpectedly about half a year ago, Cohen said, when he received a text message from what he described as a “White House friend and an insider” relaying a message from Trump. Cohen declined to name the intermediary but said the president expressed “genuine empathy for the hell that I was being dragged through, yet again.”
Cohen responded by writing in a text: “We both knew the cost of this war.” He told radio listeners in July that Trump replied almost immediately, agreeing it was time for them to meet. “In that moment, the ice between us, it didn’t just melt; it broke,” Cohen said.
Years of Conflict and Reversal
Cohen, Trump’s former personal lawyer and self-described “pit bull,” had been one of Trump’s closest confidants for years. But their relationship fractured when Cohen pleaded guilty in August 2018 to eight criminal counts, including campaign finance violations, and implicated Trump in a payment scheme designed to silence women who claimed affairs with the then-candidate before the 2016 election.
Cohen served prison time and later became the star witness in Trump’s 2024 criminal trial in New York. Trump was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to hush money payments to adult film performer Stormy Daniels. Trump, who denied the affair, was sentenced to no jail time and has appealed the conviction.
For years, Trump publicly attacked Cohen, while Cohen wrote two books—”Disloyal” and “Revenge”—expressing his grievances. Cohen also claimed that New York prosecutors, including Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and New York Attorney General Letitia James, had pressured and coerced him into testifying against Trump.
When Trump returned to office this year, Cohen’s public stance shifted. He published a post on Substack in January describing how he “felt pressured and coerced” by prosecutors, and the reconciliation text from Trump’s intermediary followed. The two men have since met privately at Trump’s golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Cohen has said his relationship with Trump is now “cordial and growing,” and he has cited forgiveness and faith as the foundation for their reunion. The radio interview Thursday will test whether that reconciliation holds under public scrutiny.
Sources
- CNN — reported the interview details, the 40-minute duration, and Cohen’s account of the reconciliation text
- The New York Times — confirmed Trump’s appearance on Cohen’s WABC program and the reconciliation timeline
- Politico — reported the interview was set for Thursday and noted it was their first public conversation since their falling out
- ABC News — confirmed Cohen is hosting Trump on his radio show
- The Hill — reported the reconciliation following their public feud
- New York Post — reported Cohen’s July 2026 hiring at WABC Radio and Trump’s stated backing
