Michael Cohen Feared That Donald Trump Would 'Exact Revenge' on Him If Re-Elected

Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's right-hand-turned-accuser, once went on the record to make it clear that he feared for his own safety. The 57-year-old testified against the former president when an attorney questioned if he had been honest in front of the committee, to which he replied that he lied. Cohen then appeared terrified of Trump's possible vengeance if the Republican candidate wins over the White House in 2024. Given that Trump openly declared he would come after his rivals once he's re-elected, as per Newsweek, many felt Cohen's worries were valid.

Cohen revealed his concerns regarding his former boss' re-election and the consequences to be followed while talking to Good Morning Britain. Cohen said, "You don't know Donald Trump. I do. Don't listen to my words. Listen to his words. He will exact revenge on anyone who has done him wrong," per Daily Mail. He explained there are plenty of people on Trump's 'revenge list,' and he [Cohen] even considered leaving the United States to safeguard his life. 

"There's a lot of people on that list. It's not just me. It's judges, it's lawyers, it's citizens. It's prosecutors. It's Congress members." Cohen emphasized the alarming (potential) future under Trump's presidency, especially for people who testified against him. "He will exact revenge on anyone and everyone that he's capable of." 

The former attorney was expelled from his law practice in the state of New York in 2019 after he pleaded guilty in the hush money case. Apparently, he arranged $130,000 in October 2016 (right before the elections) to pay the adult star Stormy Daniels to stay silent about her alleged 'affair' with the former president in 2006. Cohen was sent behind bars for crimes like lying to Congress and questionable financial payments. Aside from surrendering in the hush money case, he also admitted to purchasing rights to a story claiming Trump's other affair with Playboy model Karen McDougal from 2006 until 2007. 

Trump had been indicted on 91 counts, and it was the first time in history that a President faced criminal charges. However, Cohen thought locking Trump wouldn't suffice. "I want him held accountable, but I have great concerns that if, in fact, Donald Trump is locked up in an institution, he would sell or give away national security secrets for a bag of tuna or a book of stamps."

The former attorney continued, "My bigger concern is the protection and safety of America... So let them put him under a very serious home confinement situation. But to put him into an institution, remember, for four years, he was briefed every single day on national security issues," concluding, "I care more about America than I do seeing Donald Trump behind bars." 

Cohen also opened up about why he remained involved in Trump's many scandals. "I made these statements to be consistent with [Trump's] political messaging and out of loyalty [to Trump]," he confessed to the federal court in 2018. Following this, Trump's congressional allies also sought an investigation into Cohen's testimony. Representative Elise Stefanik, the House GOP conference chair, stated, "The Biden Justice Department must take off its partisan blinders and investigate disgraced fraudster and disbarred attorney Michael Cohen," per Politico. 

Editor's note: This article was originally published on Nov 15, 2023. It has since been updated.