Richard Drew/AP
Michael Cohen, an attorney for President-elect Donald Trump, arrives in Trump Tower in New York, Friday, Dec. 16, 2016.
- President Donald Trump reportedly humiliated his longtime lawyer Michael Cohen at his son's bar mitzvah in 2012.
- Trump showed up late to the bar mitzvah and then proceeded to tell guests Cohen had begged him to attend.
- Cohen is under investigation by federal prosecutors regarding his work for the president.
President Donald Trump reportedly humiliated his longtime lawyer Michael Cohen at his son's bar mitzvah in 2012.
Trump was apparently so late to the event - a ceremony in the Jewish faith that marks a young person's transition into adulthood - that he delayed the blessings, according to what an attendee told The Wall Street Journal.
The future president then gave a speech in which he said he hadn't actually planned on attending but came after Cohen begged him to come by repeatedly calling him, his secretary, and his children. The attendee said guests cracked up at Trump's remarks, because they seemed fairly believable.
This public display of disrespect could come back to haunt Trump as Cohen is under investigation by federal prosecutors regarding his work for the president. Cohen's payment of $130,000 to Stormy Daniels - a former porn star who says she had an affair with Trump - before the election remains a particularly controversial aspect of the investigation.
On Thursday, Trump attempted to distance himself from Cohen during an interview with "Fox and Friends," contending that federal prosecutors are looking more at Cohen's business dealings than the legal work he's done on Trump's behalf.
"Michael is a businessman, he's got a business. He also practices law," Trump said. "And they're looking at something having to do with his business. I have nothing to do with his business."
During the same interview, Trump acknowledged Cohen represented him in relation to Stormy Daniels, which some feel was a damning admission.
After the interview, Michael Avenatti, Stormy Daniels' attorney, tweeted, "Thank you @foxandfriends for having Mr. Trump on this morning to discuss Michael Cohen and our case, Very informative." In a subsequent tweet, Avenatti added, "Mr. Trump and Mr. Cohen previously represented to the American people that Mr. Cohen acted on his own and Mr. Trump knew nothing about the agreement with my client, the $130k payment, etc. As I predicted, that has now been shown to be completely false."