CNN reports that the president’s former lawyer “claims that then-candidate Trump knew in advance about the June 2016 meeting in Trump Tower in which Russians were expected to offer his campaign dirt on Hillary Clinton, sources with knowledge tell CNN. Cohen is willing to make that assertion to special counsel Robert Mueller, the sources said.”
With his new assertions of Trump’s foreknowledge of collusion, Cohen has made himself front and center of the Russian investigation. The issue will now be whether Cohen, who was until recently a fervent supporter of the president, is credible. Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s current lawyer, went on CNN to impugn Cohen’s trustworthiness:
“He has lied all his life… a person who is found to be an incredible liar, he’s got a tremendous motive to lie now… I don’t think anyone believes that.” Rudy Giuliani dismisses report Michael Cohen claims Trump knew in advance of 2016 Trump Tower meeting https://t.co/xd4PFYYpcQ pic.twitter.com/9gxjNGWLRA
— Cuomo Prime Time (@CuomoPrimeTime) July 27, 2018
As Talking Points Memo publisher Josh Marshall notes, Giuliani is making the paradoxical argument that he has witnesses who will deny a meeting that he claims never took place.
This is amazing. Rudes says he's talked to the additional witnesses who were at the meeting when when Trump was told and they confirm that Trump was never told and there was no meeting. pic.twitter.com/ZKgzQ88Lvz
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) July 27, 2018
Further, contra to Giuliani’s claims, Cohen is not alone in making these claims. Earlier this year Sam Nunberg, also a close confidant of Trump, made the same claim in March of 2018:
! Tapper: Do you think Donald Trump knew nothing about that [Trump Tower] meeting?
— Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) March 5, 2018
Nunberg: "No. You know he knew about it. He was talking about it a week before...I don't know why he went around trying to hide it."
Between Cohen and Nunberg, there might be enough testimony to cause Donald Trump some serious heartaches.