Full Breakdown
Trump Says He May Pardon Former Fixer Michael Cohen
9/9/2026, 11:53:55 PM
Core Development
On September 9, President Donald Trump told reporters that he would consider granting a presidential pardon to Michael Cohen, the former personal attorney whose testimony helped secure Trump’s 2024 conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records. Trump said, “If everything is checking out, it’s something I would consider,” indicating a conditional openness to clemency.
Background
Cohen was sentenced in 2018 to three years in federal prison for a $130,000 hush-money payment to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels, tax fraud, and lying to Congress. He served more than a year before his release. In the Manhattan criminal trial that concluded in 2024, Cohen testified about the payment and other alleged misconduct, contributing to Trump’s conviction. Cohen later claimed he “felt pressured and coerced” by prosecutors and, in a Substack post, expressed a desire for forgiveness, writing that “forgiveness doesn’t require amnesia.”
Official Statements & Responses
He added that no formal request for a pardon had been made but that he would weigh the matter if the facts aligned. Cohen has not formally recanted his testimony, and no legal filing for a pardon has been submitted.
Commentary and Criticism
Commentary outlets highlighted the political calculus of the proposed pardon. The New York Times described Trump’s remarks as an attempt to “rewrite history” and pointed out that Cohen has not actually recanted his testimony despite Trump’s claim that he “recanted everything you said.” USA Today quoted Trump calling the treatment of Cohen a “disgrace” and suggested the president’s stance reflects a personal grievance rather than a legal assessment.
Verbatim Quotes
- “If everything is checking out, it's something I would consider.” — Donald Trump, president
- “What they did to Michael Cohen was a disgrace,” — Donald Trump, president
- “I respect the fact that you recanted everything you said,” — Mr. Trump, president
