Michael Cohen Calls Trump ‘Boss’ in Friendly Interview as He Seeks Presidential Pardon

Michael Cohen struck a dramatically different tone toward President Donald Trump Thursday, repeatedly reminiscing about their years together and even calling his former employer “boss” as he actively seeks a presidential pardon.

The former Trump attorney and longtime fixer sat down with the president for an interview that aired on Cohen’s WABC radio program. The conversation marked an extraordinary turnaround after years in which Cohen became one of Trump’s most vocal critics and a key witness in criminal proceedings against him.

“Boss, you remember when I was by your side? I literally used to analyze the polls,” Cohen told Trump during the roughly 15-minute segment. At another point, Cohen suggested Trump hold a press conference specifically highlighting his administration’s accomplishments.

The friendly exchange was a striking departure from Cohen’s rhetoric after the two men had their bitter falling out. Cohen previously branded Trump a “racist,” “predator” and “fraud” and spent years publicly attacking the man he once represented.

Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to multiple federal crimes, including tax evasion, making false statements to a bank and campaign-finance violations. He subsequently served prison time and became an important cooperating witness in investigations involving Trump.

His testimony later played a major role in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s prosecution of Trump over business records connected to hush-money payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign. Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts in that case in 2024.

But Cohen has recently begun distancing himself from some of his previous actions against Trump. Earlier this year, he said he felt “pressured and coerced” into turning against his former boss by Bragg and New York Attorney General Letitia James, increasingly echoing Trump’s longstanding argument that politically motivated prosecutors had targeted him.

Trump acknowledged Cohen’s reversal during their conversation. The president told his former attorney that he respected Cohen for recanting his previous statements, describing the decision as significant.

The reconciliation comes as Cohen is actively seeking clemency from Trump. Cohen revealed that he has already submitted a presidential pardon application and intends to contact the Justice Department to make sure officials received and are processing it.

Cohen said he sent the application by FedEx and has proof that it was delivered, but had not yet received an official acknowledgment. He said contacting the DOJ to determine the status of the application was on his immediate to-do list.

Whether Trump will ultimately grant his former attorney a pardon remains uncertain. The president has not publicly committed to doing so, despite the apparent thaw in their once-hostile relationship.

For Cohen, however, the transformation is unmistakable. After years spent helping prosecutors pursue Trump and publicly denouncing him, the former fixer is once again calling Trump “boss,” praising his accomplishments and attempting to rebuild their relationship while asking the president to wipe away his federal convictions.