Michael Cohen, part joke, part nightmare, the president’s* lawyer, fixer, the guy who New Yorkers would mock as Trump’s Trump, is beginning to be seen around NYC without the usual animosity and ridicule. Some who encounter Cohen in the most anti-Trump city on Earth, Trump’s hometown, see Cohen as the key to ridding the nation of the disaster that is the Trump administration.
Indeed, no less a “New York” source than Vanity Fair states that Michael Cohen had been seen on Wednesday morning, along with Steve Bannon, Sam Nunberg, and Tom Arnold, the three all milling about the Regency Hotel in Midtown Manhattan. That this particular quartet would meet, and all that they might discuss, might cause the orange one’s stubby fingers to shake more than any global leader.
Regardless, Cohen may end up being a hero whether he wants the role or not. It seems that the man meticulously documented near everything he did, both for Trump and otherwise, and though he asserted vast claims of attorney-client privilege, the special master found only 161 documents, out of four million, to be privileged under the attorney-client doctrine. That kind of ineptitude and the ominous implications have left sort of a soft-spot in the hearts of New Yorkers for the guy.
The warmth comes concurrent with other signs that Cohen is no longer the human shield for Trump that he once might’ve been:
For the president, Cohen’s moves in recent days have been even more foreboding. Last week, I reported that Cohen will switch from his current attorneys, who have handled the document review, to a new lawyer, Guy Petrillo, who served as the head of the criminal division of the S.D.N.Y.—a signal that Cohen may be preparing to resolve his situation without going to trial. Days later, Cohen resigned from his leadership position at the Republican National Committee in a letter taking a lash at Trump’s immigration policies. Shortly thereafter, Cohen retweeted a photo taken by Arnold with the two smiling next to one another in the Regency lobby—a photo that Arnold told me he hoped would send a shock wave through the Oval Office.
The photo with Tom Arnold could be significant since Arnold is in NYC filming episodes for his upcoming Viceland show, for which the comedian searches for damaging tapes that could bring the president down.
Michael Cohen didn’t say Me & him were teaming up to take down Donald Trump! Michael has enough Trump on his plate. I’m the crazy person who said Me & Michael Cohen were teaming up to take down Trump of course. I meant it. Michael doesn’t get paid by Vice #thehuntforthetrumptapes pic.twitter.com/af48aDZRvg
— Tom Arnold (@TomArnold) June 22, 2018
The change in posture has led to a change in approach by New Yorkers, who once shamed him, accosted him, shouted he’d be going to jail, and other, less-print worthy. Now however:
Earlier this week, however, a woman chased him down the street, shouting at him that he could be a hero if he cooperates with the government and brings President Trump down. Last week, another person attempted to get a message to Cohen, saying, “Please let him know that he could go down in history as the man that saved this country. I think his family would be so proud of him. Even people like me that were disgusted with the things we heard on those audio recordings, would totally forgive him.”
It doesn’t hurt that at the same time New Yorkers are bringing Cohen back home, “Washington” (in the form of the Trump administration) has been pushing Cohen as far away as possible. ‘Seems Trump can’t even follow tje old maxim, full of utility, if not wisdom, ones about keeping your friends close and enemies closer. Cohen is nowhere near Trump, and he’s definitely no friend.
Cohen has been and could be either or both, friend or foe, but he’s not being kept close, his choices running out, and that portends a world of trouble for Trump.
