Michael Cohen—once Donald Trump’s personal attorney and later a key witness in New York cases involving Trump—could be considered for a presidential pardon, according to remarks Trump made when pressed by reporters.
What Trump said at Joint Base Andrews
Fielding questions at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, Trump was asked whether he would pardon Cohen. In a clip of the exchange shared on X by user @Acyn on Sept. 9, 2026, Trump said, “I’ve never been asked that question,” and added that “if everything is checking out, it’s something I’d consider.” The video attribution and date are based on the post referenced in the source material.
Cohen’s prosecution and later testimony
Cohen previously pleaded guilty to eight federal counts, including tax evasion, making false statements to a federally insured bank, and campaign finance violations. He later became a key witness in New York investigations involving Trump. According to the source report, New York Attorney General Letitia James used Cohen’s testimony in her civil lawsuit against the Trump Organization, and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg relied on Cohen in the criminal case concerning payments to Stormy Daniels.
Cohen’s own account
In a Substack post cited by the source, Cohen wrote that he felt “pressured and coerced” to provide damaging information about Trump. The post is Cohen’s characterization of his experience and should be read in that context.
What remains unclear
Trump did not specify what “checking out” would entail or any timing for a decision. The source article states that Cohen recently interviewed Trump and is seeking clemency; those claims require independent verification.
