President Donald Trump on Thursday morning distanced himself from the federal investigation into the business dealings of his longtime lawyer Michael Cohen, claiming that he knows “nothing” about Cohen’s business practices and that Cohen represented him in only a “fraction” of his legal matters.
“I don’t know his business, but this doesn’t have to do with me. Michael is a businessman. He’s got a business. He also practices law. I would say probably the big thing is his business, and they’re looking at something having to do with his business,” Trump said during a lengthy phone interview with “Fox and Friends.” “I have nothing to do with his business, I can tell you.”
Asked about Cohen’s work representing him, Trump claimed that Cohen only handled “a tiny, tiny little fraction” of his legal work.
“I have many attorneys,” Trump said.
“He represents me like with this crazy Stormy Daniels deal, he represented me,” the President continued, referencing Cohen’s payment to Daniels and work negotiating a hush agreement with the porn actress. “You know, from what I see, he did absolutely nothing wrong. There were no campaign funds going into this, which would have been a problem.”
Trump also shrugged off Cohen’s decision to plead the Fifth Amendment in the civil case filed by Daniels against him. During the campaign, Trump criticized Hillary Clinton staffers who pleaded the Fifth Amendment in the email probe.
“Because he has got other things. He has businesses,” Trump answered on “Fox and Friends” when asked why Cohen is pleading the Fifth. “I hope he’s in great shape. But he has got businesses, and his lawyers probably told him to do that. But I’m not involved.”
