Yuri Gripas/Reuters
Donald Trump.
- A National Enquirer story about Michael Cohen could be a sign that President Donald Trump could be turning against his personal attorney.
- The tabloid's publisher, David Pecker, is good friends with Trump and would not have approved the story without the president's blessing, CNN reports.
A National Enquirer story about Michael Cohen could be a sign that President Donald Trump could be turning against his personal attorney, according to CNN.
The tabloid's publisher, David Pecker, is good friends with Trump and would not have approved the story without the president's blessing, sources told CNN. The headline of the National Enquirer story reads "Trump Fixer's Secrets and Lies!", a sign that the president is upset with Cohen.
When asked by CNN if he thought the story and headline were meant to send a message, Cohen responded, "What do you think?"
Cohen's apartment, office, and hotel room were raided last month by the FBI, as Trump's "fixer" has been under criminal investigation in New York over his business dealings.
This is not the first time Pecker has acted on behalf of Trump with the National Enquirer. Using a strategy called "catch and kill," Pecker paid former Playboy model Karen McDougal $150,000 for her story that she allegedly had a sexual relationship with Trump.
After suing to be released from the nondisclosure agreement, McDougal settled with the Enquirer's parent company last month to allow her to speak freely about the affair with Trump.
And a former Trump Tower doorman was paid $30,000 by the National Enquirer to keep quiet about a child Trump allegedly fathered with a woman while he was married. The tabloid said they weren't able to corroborate the doorman's story.