Trump-Cohen crisis: President struggles to contain fallout as lawyer Lanny Davis says Cohen could talk to Mueller investigation
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Your support makes all the difference.Donald Trump has addressed the escalating crisis besetting his presidency surrounding revelations from his former lawyer and a run of legal troubles that could see him investigated as part of a criminal case.
Following his former personal attorney and 'fixer' Michael Cohen's guilty pleas to a string of crimes - one of which he said the then-Republican candidate directed him to commit - the president tweeted:"If anyone is looking for a good lawyer, I would strongly suggest that you don’t retain the services of Michael Cohen!"
The outburst follows a day of major legal troubles unprecedented since he entered the White House in 2017 — and there may be rocky waters ahead after a fresh subpoena for Mr Cohen on Wednesday indicated investigators may be circling in on the Trump Foundation as well. In addition, Mr Trump has seen numerous calls from Democrats saying that Mr Trump's recent Supreme Court nomination should be stalled in light of Mr Cohen's statements, and the lawyer for the former Trump fixer further ratcheted up the pressure, and said his client would not accept a pardon from the president to reduce his sentence.
"Michael Cohen knows information that would be of interest to the special counsel, in my opinion, regarding both knowledge about a conspiracy to corrupt American democracy by Russians, and the failure to report that information to the FBI," Mr Cohen's lawyer, Lanny Davis, said on MSNBC. Mr Davis continued to say his client had set up a GoFundMe page to help pay for legal fees, and to help him "tell the truth about Donald Trump".
Within minutes of each other in separate courts on Tuesday, former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort was found guilty on tax and bank fraud charges, while Mr Cohen pleaded guilty to a range of charges.
Mr Trump did not address the public after the latest developments were announced, but opted to spend a rally in West Virginia avoiding discussion of either Mr Cohen or Mr Manafort, and instead addressing issues ranging from his mother's turkeys, exploding windmills and imaginary Chinese drivers.
During the White House press briefing on Wednesday, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders pushed back on talk that the events on Tuesday related to the president. She argued that Mr Manafort's charges had nothing to do with Mr Trump or his 2016 campaign, and said that it was "a ridiculous accusation" when asked if the president lied about having known about the payments made by Mr Cohen.
The president has previously denied having affairs with either of the women involved in the Cohen case. And he has strenuously objected to any suggestion that he is connected to any crimes revealed by the Mueller probe, which is looking into possible illegal collusion with the Russians.
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Meanwhile at the White House, Donald Trump is posthumously presenting the Medal of Honour to Technical Sergeant John Chapman.
It would be an odd setting for Mr Trump to talk about Michael Cohen or Paul Manafort, but you never know.
Here is that Medal of Honour ceremony, where Mr trump did not mention his other troubles.
Republicans have had varying reactions to the last 24 hours and the presidential tweetstorm of this morning.
Senator Richard Burr, who oversees the Senate intelligence committee's Russia investigation, said he is “not sure why that would change my support for the president.”
"He was elected by the American people. Short of impeachment or death, he’s the president," Mr Burr told Politico.
Senator Pat Roberts simply commented: "It is what it is. I can't make a difference on that".
Noting his support for Mr Trump has not wavered "yet," Senator Lindsay Graham added: “What happens here is, I’m looking for evidence of collusion. That would affect me...Rather than say what would affect me, let me find out what [special counsel Robert] Mueller’s got. Then let me tell you.”
Other Republicans had a less complacent reaction to Mr Trump and the crisis involving former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and former personal attorney Michael Cohen.
Senator Ben Sasse bluntly said “neither one of these felons should have been anywhere near the presidency.”
“Obviously, Michael Cohen’s assertion that the president directed him to pay this money is not good news for the president,” Senator Susan Collins said.
She noted she has never supported Mr Trump, but Ms Collins has routinely voted along party lines and has supported quickly pushing through the president's Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
Mr Cohen's lawyer says that his client would not accept a pardon fromMr Trump under any circumstances, even though the president's response to Tuesday's plea deal would suggest a deep rift between the formerly close allies.
Speaking to NPR, attorney Lanny Davis brushed aside the idea that his client would want the president to spring him from federal prison early.
"Under no circumstances would he accept a pardon from Mr Trump," Mr Davis said.
One bit of fallout from the disclosures from Mr Cohen on Tuesday that the made payments to women who have alleged they had affairs with the president — apparently under direction from Mr Trump — has been the issue has weaponized by some Democrats to push back on the Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh.
The highest profile of those, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, said as much on the Senate floor, expressing concern with connection Mr Trump may have with the federal crimes.
"In my view, the Senate Judiciary Committee should immediately pause the consideration of the Kavanaugh nomination," Mr Schumer said.
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