Michael Cohen to cease Trump commentary on X, podcast until after testimony
Michael Cohen, former President Trump's fixer turned foe, said Wednesday he will cease any commentary about Trump until after he testifies in the former president's New York criminal trial.
"Despite not being the gagged defendant, out of respect for Judge Merchan and the prosecutors, I will cease posting anything about Donald on my X (formerly Twitter) account or on the Mea Culpa Podcast until after my trial testimony," he wrote on the social platform X. "See you all in a month (or more)."
In recent weeks, Cohen has posted a smattering of online attacks against Trump, calling the former president derogatory names and taunting him over a gag order the judge in the case, Juan Merchan, imposed on his speech.
Trump has been barred from attacking witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and the judge's family, but the order doesn't preclude him from deriding Merchan or Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D).
Cohen, who once served as Trump's personal attorney, is expected to be a key witness for the Manhattan district attorney's office in its case against Trump over his alleged falsification of business records to conceal a hush money deal with a porn actor ahead of the 2016 election.
The hush money payment in question was made by Cohen to Stormy Daniels, who claimed she had an affair with Trump. The former president has denied the affair and pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.
During a hearing Tuesday over whether Trump violated the gag order, the former president's attorneys argued there was "absolutely no willful violation" in 10 posts flagged by prosecutors. However, Trump should be allowed to defend himself against political attacks — even if they come from witnesses, they said.
“There is no dispute that President Trump is facing a barrage of political attacks from all sides, including from the two witnesses referenced in the early posts,” Trump attorney Todd Blanche said, referring to Cohen and Daniels.
Prosecutors with the district attorney's office countered that "throwing 'MAGA' into a post doesn’t make it political" and that the former president's attacks went too far.
Outside the courtroom Tuesday, Trump railed against the order as "a disgrace" and "totally unconstitutional."
“I don’t believe it’s — not to this extent — ever happened before," he said of the gag order. "I’m not allowed to talk, but people are allowed to say whatever they want about me. Very unfair.”
Cohen is expected to take the witness stand later in the trial to detail his role in the alleged "catch-and-kill" schemes that prosecutors say were meant to clear Trump's path to the White House.