this post was submitted on 19 Feb 2024
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Michael Cohen — who long served as former President Trump’s personal lawyer and fixer — warned Sunday of the potential risk of sending Trump back to the White House with mounting legal fees and financial liabilities.

“We need to be very careful about him as a potential president because he is for sale,” Cohen, now an outspoken critic of the former president, said in an interview on MSNBC’s “The Weekend” on Sunday.

“He needs to figure out where he is going to raise $500-plus million over a short period of time,” Cohen continued.

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[–] billiam0202@lemmy.world 227 points 7 months ago (2 children)

"He is for sale."

Dude was for sale before, too.

[–] EvilBit@lemmy.world 59 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Yes, but if this hurts his “successful businessman” image (just threw up in my mouth a little), then I’ll take it.

[–] billiam0202@lemmy.world 60 points 7 months ago (2 children)

It won't though. The people who would give him money haven't yet stopped to wonder why a "billionaire" needs them to pay for his campaigns and legal defenses.

[–] cowvin@kbin.social 22 points 7 months ago

This drives me nuts. Why do his moronic cult followers keep giving him money? He's a "billionaire." LOL

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 3 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

These are the same dipshits that think this disgusting rapist and serial philanderer is sent by Jaysus himself.

Logic is not their strong suit. And they don't own a moral compass.

[–] gregorum@lemm.ee 9 points 7 months ago

It hurt it before, too, though.

[–] ohlaph@lemmy.world 24 points 7 months ago

All con men are for sale.

[–] knobbysideup@sh.itjust.works 93 points 7 months ago (4 children)

That is why background investigations for security clearances go deep into that stuff. Can't be cleared? Shouldn't hold office.

[–] MsPenguinette@lemmy.world 50 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Unfortunately the president gets security clearance inherently with the position. It’s kind of like asking the King/Queen to get a drivers license when those are issued “at their pleasure”.

[–] knobbysideup@sh.itjust.works 52 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Before being president, you are a citizen. If you can't be cleared, you shouldn't be eligible to run.

[–] DreamlandLividity@lemmy.world 22 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (3 children)

So you want CIA, NSA and the other intelligence agencies to have a full on veto power ower who can be president?

As a reminder, its not that long since being gay/trans would disqalify you from getting clearence because "it made you vulnerable to blackmail".

[–] captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works 8 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Similar to the issue of medical disqualification. Theoretically the parties themselves are supposed to vet these candidates, except the parties themselves have alzheimers and their party platforms are insanity themselves.

I wonder how many of our elected officials could pass the psychological portions of an aviation medical exam. How many of them are too crazy to fly a Cessna by themselves but just can't be removed from Congress.

[–] prole@sh.itjust.works 4 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Legitimate question: could Jared Kushner be able to run then? He was denied clearance several times after Trump was initially elected in 2016... Anyone want to chime in to remind everyone what happened there?

[–] bamboo@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 7 months ago (1 children)

and then Covid happened...

[–] prole@sh.itjust.works 2 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Yes it did...

But back to the question: anyone remember what happened specifically with Jared Kushner's security clearance after it was denied over and over and over by the US Intelligence Community?

Ah fuck it, I'll just spoil it myself: Trump was able to override it and give him the clearance anyway! Yay checks and balances!

[–] DreamlandLividity@lemmy.world 2 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Presidents and politicians in general misusing their power is always an issue. That being said, there is nothing wrong with an elected representative of the people (president) overriding an unelected official who is his employee. At least presidents are accountable to the people in theory.

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[–] bamboo@lemmy.blahaj.zone 19 points 7 months ago (1 children)

We're already having a hard time stopping an insurrectionist from running for president.

[–] ApathyTree@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 7 months ago

Disappointingly not wrong.

[–] gregorum@lemm.ee 5 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (2 children)

Wasn’t Queen Elizabeth II famous for never having gotten a drivers license and refusing to get one? Iirc, she skated by by only ever driving in private roads.

[–] HikingVet@lemmy.ca 12 points 7 months ago (1 children)

From her Wikipedia article

She trained as a driver and mechanic and was given the rank of honorary junior commander (female equivalent of captain at the time) five months later.[34]

[–] gregorum@lemm.ee 4 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

yes, she did do that.

I was referring to her ever getting a civilian driver license, which I believe she famously refused to do. Of course it never mattered because she never drove herself on public roads.

[–] SpaceCowboy@lemmy.ca 5 points 7 months ago

She never had a passport, not sure about the driver's license.

[–] deadbeef79000 4 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I believe that she'd essentially be giving herself a license (and passport).

Also, for a person who is always driven or flown somewhere by very special people,who would need one?

[–] gregorum@lemm.ee 3 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

a driver license and passport are different.

also, she didn't need a driver license because she never drove herself except during her military service or on her own properties when/where a license wasn’t required. otherwise, she was always driven.

[–] Tangent5280@lemmy.world 2 points 7 months ago

I'm thinking if she's ever asked for a passport she would've just taken a napkin, sneezed into it and consecrated it as a valid license "by direct decree of the queen"

[–] prole@sh.itjust.works 18 points 7 months ago

Just like how Jared Kushner couldn't be cleared, right? Like 20 fucking times? Until Trump literally, personally overrode that and he got it anyway?

That shit only works for us plebs.

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[–] Treczoks@lemm.ee 56 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (3 children)

Trump was never "not for sale". He sold a list of American agents to Putin. What worse could he get?

EDIT: I agree, he could still get a lot worse.

[–] FiremanEdsRevenge@lemmy.world 13 points 7 months ago (1 children)

As the old adage goes, it can ALWAYS get worse.

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[–] nova_ad_vitum@lemmy.ca 11 points 7 months ago

After Kashoggi was killed he literally did a press conference and among his rambling was the implication that he wouldn't act against the Saudis because they rent a lot of his properties. He's openly for sale and his moronic base doesn't care.

[–] prole@sh.itjust.works 9 points 7 months ago

So much fucking worse... There are case studies in recent history if you're actually curious.

[–] PanoptiDon@lemmy.world 44 points 7 months ago (1 children)

This is exactly the type of thing that will cost you your security clearance, for a good reason.

[–] Mamertine@lemmy.world 10 points 7 months ago (2 children)

So few people in the Trump Whitehouse could pass a background check. The solution was to suspend background checks. Clearance was just given out.

[–] Sanctus@lemmy.world 36 points 7 months ago

Always has been

[–] kmartburrito@lemmy.world 30 points 7 months ago

🌎👨‍🚀🔫👨‍🚀

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 22 points 7 months ago (1 children)

And he was compromised before. What does everyone think Russia was all about, anyway?

[–] postmateDumbass@lemmy.world 6 points 7 months ago

Russia has MAGA by the wallet.

China's money is also in play, they are just more discreet about it.

[–] Xerxos@lemmy.ml 14 points 7 months ago

He always was for sale - he is just getting cheaper.

[–] PeckerBrown@lemmy.world 13 points 7 months ago

Finally figured that out, did we?

[–] johannesvanderwhales@lemmy.world 11 points 7 months ago (2 children)

I'm not really sure why people consider Michael Cohen an authority on anything. He was an unethical lawyer who got disbarred. He is definitely not an unbiased source about anything to do with Trump since he obviously has a personal vendetta after being thrown under the bus. While I don't disagree that the headline is true, I don't think attaching Michael Cohen's name to it makes the argument stronger.

[–] Dkarma@lemmy.world 3 points 7 months ago

Because he was trumps attorney and basically an inside man for what, decades? But yeah you're right it's not like his testimony literally brought down Trump's business in NY.

Oh wait... actually it did.

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[–] OldWoodFrame@lemm.ee 9 points 7 months ago (3 children)

He has properties he can sell or mortgage. He's not like broke. He's for sale because he cares more about money than loyalty and duty to his country, that hasn't changed from his first term. It's not about the fines.

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[–] autotldr@lemmings.world 7 points 7 months ago

This is the best summary I could come up with:


Cohen’s warning comes as Trump, the leading 2024 GOP presidential candidate, was found liable Friday for nearly $355 million in penalties in a civil fraud case in New York that delivered a severe blow to his family business.

New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) sued Trump and his business in 2022, alleging the former president falsely altered his net worth on key financial statements to receive tax and insurance benefits.

James also alleged that Trump sometimes adjusted his assets’ value to obtain more favorable loans and deals, which the state points to as evidence of fraud.

Last month, a federal jury in a different civil case ordered Trump to pay $83.3 million for defaming E. Jean Carroll, adding to the $5 million verdict in an earlier trial that found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll and defaming her in separate comments.

When MSNBC host Symone Sanders-Townsend suggested Trump “is open to the highest bidder at this point because the tab keeps being run up,” floating “the Saudis, the Russians,” as options, Cohen agreed.

Trump was also indicted in four criminal cases, two of which were brought by special counsel Jack Smith, with another each in Georgia and New York.


The original article contains 329 words, the summary contains 200 words. Saved 39%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!

[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 6 points 7 months ago

You mean that there is yet another reason why he's for sale. Throw it on the pile, I'd say.

[–] DAMunzy@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Why are we listening to Cohen? There were plenty of credible witnesses.

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[–] Red_October@lemmy.world 2 points 7 months ago

Yeah, yeah that's what makes him compromised. Not all the other things. Not the rampant greed, not the corruption, not the pee pee tape, just the legal fees.

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