President Donald Trump on Thursday sought to distance himself from his longtime personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, telling Fox News hosts that Cohen handled only a “tiny, tiny fraction” of his “overall legal work.”
Cohen, who has served as Trump’s lawyer for more than a decade, is under federal investigation related to a 2016 payment he made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, among other matters. Cohen has said he did it on Trump’s behalf, but without Trump’s knowledge.
“Michael is in business, he is really a businessman, a fairly big business, as I understand it,” Trump said on “Fox and Friends.” “I don’t know his business, but [the investigation] doesn’t have to do with me.”
Cohen “also practices law,” Trump said, but “I would say probably the big thing is his business, and they’re looking something having to do with his business.”
Cohen handles only “a tiny, tiny little fraction” of Trump’s “overall legal work,” said the president but he “represents me on some things … like with this crazy Stormy Daniels deal.”
“I’ve been told I’m not involved” in the investigation, Trump said. “From what I understand, they’re looking at his businesses.”
This is a developing story, please check back for updates.
