Trump says Michael Cohen was 'weaponized' by mainstream media in surprise radio reunion

During an unexpected interview Thursday with his former personal lawyer turned bitter enemy, Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump said his one-time ally was "weaponized" against him by the mainstream media before the two recently reconciled.

In the first part of a two-part radio interview with Trump on his radio show, Cohen recounted his 2016 CNN interview with host Brianna Keilar, which led to him going viral after questioning Trump's standing in the polls.

"Do you remember, sir, when I went on CNN with Brianna Keilar, and she told me that you were underwater in the polls, and I responded with those famous two words, ‘says who,’ which became some worldwide meme," Cohen recalled.

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"And then they weaponized you like nobody's ever been weaponized, like few have been," Trump responded.

"Well, maybe just you and me, sir," Cohen said.

"Well, yeah, me too, but mine was at a level that nobody's ever seen before, but they weaponized you. Tey weaponized a lot of people. And I respect the fact that you recanted everything you said. That's a big thing that you did," Trump said.

Cohen then remembered the morning after the interview when Trump had told him, "F--- them. You're stronger than them. We've got this."

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"Now, the funny thing is that CNN never apologized. They never retracted anything, and, now, years later, CNN, MS NOW, the other left-leaning outlets, they're doing the exact same thing, constantly talking about you being underwater with favorability numbers," Cohen said.

Trump and Cohen continued to criticize media polls later in the interview, with Trump targeting The New York Times specifically.

"The polls are crooked. So the reporters that, you know, are crooked, many of them. You have some great ones too. But for the most part … when you read The New York Times, it’s so dishonest," Trump said. "When you read these things, and they’re not doing well. Look, the reason they're not doing well is because they've lost a lot of credibility.

"Now you do have great journalists," he added. "You do have great reporters also. Many people are very good, very, very good. I could name them, but by naming them, I’ll leave some out."

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Fox News Digital reached out to CNN, MS NOW and The New York Times for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Cohen told Fox News Digital the conversation lasted 40 minutes and will be aired in two parts, the second part airing on his Sunday show, "When You Know You Know." 

The man who was a key witness in two New York cases against Trump also penned a Substack post detailing the stunning reunion that was their first public conversation in nearly a decade.