Invited on CNN to talk about the upcoming Donald Trump trial related to paying hush money to adult film star Stormy Daniels, Michael Cohen, once known as the former president fixer suggested his former client is open to being manipulated by the Kremlin.
Speaking with host John Berman, Cohen immediately launched into a warning about the former president now that he is facing close to half a billion dollars in fines after three legal setbacks.
Noting Trump's financial loses to E. Jean Carroll in two separate trials and the massive judgement levied by Judge Arthur Engoron that could reach $450 million, Cohen suggested Trump coud be ripe to be compromised, in no small part because he is "stupid."
Asked by CNN host Berman, "What do you think that number means to him?" Cohen shot back, "That's a total, it's like the death touch to Donald. They don't have that available cash."
READ MORE: ‘We're wounded:’ Speaker Mike Johnson struggles to lead GOP after ‘unnecessary purging’
"I've read in several different articles that he has a substantial sum of cash, it's not true, I would highly doubt it," he added. "He's probably looking at RNC money, he's probably looking at Super PAC money again as part of money that he would use. But no matter what happens, he does not have enough and there will have to be a liquidation of his assets in order to cover this amount because you're right, it's not $354. It's into the $550 million."
Noting Trump is in a financial position where he is open to being "compromised," Cohen added, "If you're Vladimir Putin, I'll tell you how Vladimir Putin is probably looking at Donald Trump, right now; that Trump is a poor man's idea of a rich man, a weak man's idea of a strong man and a stupid man's idea of a smart man."
"So as a KGB, former KGB expert, he's [Putin] looking at Donald and saying, 'What can we do in order to help to help him to get away from these various different things?'" he continued. "But you, can't fix stupid. So that is what you just take advantage of."
CNN 02 19 2024 08 16 58 www.youtube.com
