Donald Trump said he is open to considering a presidential pardon for Michael Cohen, his former personal attorney and later a key witness against him, if “everything checks out.” The comment came during a press gaggle at Joint Base Andrews and was captured in a video posted by X user @Acyn on Sept. 9, 2026, which Headline USA cited.
What Trump said
Asked, “Will you pardon Michael Cohen?” Trump responded: “I’ve never been asked that question,” adding, “If everything is checking out, it’s something I’d consider,” according to the @Acyn clip shared by Headline USA.
Why it matters
Headline USA reports that Cohen served nearly two years in federal prison after pleading guilty to eight criminal counts, including tax evasion, making false statements to a federally insured bank, and campaign finance violations. The outlet adds that his legal troubles began during Robert Mueller’s special counsel investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Per Headline USA, Cohen later became a key witness in New York probes of Trump: New York Attorney General Letitia James used Cohen’s testimony in her civil lawsuit against the Trump Organization, and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg relied on Cohen in the criminal case involving payments to Stormy Daniels.
Cohen’s recent posture, per the outlet
Headline USA notes that Cohen wrote in a Substack post that he felt “pressured and coerced” to provide damaging information about Trump. The outlet also pointed to a Sept. 4, 2026 post by the “Trump Truths” X account claiming Trump reposted Cohen’s article. It further reports that Cohen recently interviewed Trump on his radio show and has publicly said he is seeking clemency.
What’s unconfirmed
Trump’s remark described a conditional openness — “if everything checks out.” As of the reporting cited here, no formal pardon decision or filing was reported. Several claims in the source material (including social media posts and characterizations of officials’ past statements) require independent verification.
