Iran, the economy and mending fences: Top takeaways from Trump interview with friend-turned-foe Michael Cohen

Donald Trump and Michael Cohen discussed Iran, the economy, immigration and their own repaired relationship in a newly released WABC radio interview.

Cohen shared an excerpt Thursday from his first public conversation with Trump in eight years. The former Trump lawyer described the exchange as “easy” and “familiar” after a bitter split that defined much of Trump’s first term.

The president used the interview to defend his ongoing war with Iran , claiming the country’s military and leadership had been severely weakened. He also repeated his longstanding pledge that Iran cannot be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon .

Trump further called the U.S. economy a “renaissance,” boasted about his record on illegal immigration and even claimed that he would win by 25 points if he were to run for reelection — despite polls indicating his approval rating remains at historic lows.

The interview was notable for the participants as much as its substance. Cohen was once Trump’s fiercely loyal fixer before becoming a key witness against him. The two have recently resumed contact , with Cohen describing their reconciliation as having been rooted in a shared sense of betrayal.

Cohen opened the interview by acknowledging the men’s checkered history. “You and I have obviously traveled a pretty rocky road together,” he told Trump, who called in over the phone.

Trump responded sympathetically, saying, “They weaponized you like nobody’s ever been weaponized.” He also praised Cohen for having “recanted everything you said,” apparently referring to Cohen’s January claim that New York officials had pressured him to testify against Trump.

Cohen served for years as Trump’s personal attorney, even claiming he would “take a bullet” for him. But their relationship collapsed after Cohen called Trump a “con man” in 2019 and later testified against Trump in his New York hush money trial .

Cohen, who served three years in prison for lying to Congress and tax violations, became an outspoken Trump critic – one whom Democrats embraced. In 2024, for instance, he claimed Trump would run the U.S. “ like the Führer ” if re-elected. The president branded him a “sleazebag.”

This summer, however, Cohen said the two had rekindled their relationship due to a “shared experience of betrayal.” He said that after criticizing New York Democrats and saying he had never seen Trump meet with Jeffrey Epstein, the pair reconnected. “The ice between us, it didn’t just melt, it broke,” he told WABC in July.

Cohen also said Thursday that he had submitted a pardon application to the White House.

During the interview excerpt, Trump characterized Iran as militarily weakened and economically strained, while arguing that continued U.S. pressure remains necessary.

“We’re doing very well with Iran,” Trump said. “The navy’s gone, the air force is gone, the leadership is gone.” He said the loss of Iranian leaders had also complicated diplomacy because “nobody knows who’s leading.”

Trump argued — as he long has — that the central issue was preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. “Iran can never have a nuclear weapon,” he said. “Very simple.”