Donald Trump dislikes the press so much that he once suggested jailing them. He sat with his guest, the French President Emmanuel Macron, in the White House at a media brief. Then, he showed the world exactly how he felt about one specific reporter, and it was ugly.
ABC News’ Jonathan Karl called out a question, with a scrum of reporters around him shouting their questions to Trump. Karl asked the president, YouTube reported:
‘What about Michael Cohen, what are you going to do about pardoning him?’
President Donald Trump snarled at Karl, ‘Thank you,” which was Trump language for “This is over. Go away.” Then, the commander-in-chief reconsidered and said:
‘Stupid question.’
It was interesting that the question irritated Trump so much. Michael Cohen has been the president’s personal attorney and confidante for years.
The Southern District of New York’s district attorney ordered the FBI to raid Cohen’s office, home, temporary residence, and even his safe deposit box. The case involved pay-offs to women the president allegedly had affairs with and paid hush money via Cohen.
Thus far, the president’s lawyer has not been indicted. However, there was no way a judge would agree to a warrant for an attorney’s office unless there was substantial proof of his guilt.
Manafort’s business associate, Rick Gates, did flip and spilled what he knows to the special counsel Robert Mueller. The special counsel’s team has been investigating Russia’s interference into the 2016 presidential election.
Cohen has been quiet as far as we know. The former Trump campaign chair, Paul Manafort, has also remained silent, even though he is facing years in jail.
That silence has led people to speculate that the president plans to pardon Manafort and Cohen, or that they somehow believe that he will. Also, 45 pardoned a previous vice presidential chief of staff from the Nixon administration, Scooter Libby, and perhaps, that was his message to both men.
The man sitting in the Oval Office had no reason to snap at the reporter for a reasonable question, unless he does intend to pardon Cohen. Time will tell.
Featured Image via Getty Images.
