Michael Cohen, the former lawyer and fixer for former President Donald Trump, recounted observing a sense of panic in his old boss's eyes during his arraignment last week.
Stressing that Trump's arrest marked a "very sad day for America," Cohen contended that he did not feel "great" about Trump's indictment and argued that despite the unfortunate situation, it was important to have accountability for the former president.
DONALD TRUMP ARREST: JUDGE OVERSEEING CASE DONATED TO BIDEN AND DEMOCRATS IN 2020
"Donald can say whatever he wants, we all saw the look on his face," Cohen recounted to MSNBC’s Katie Phang on Saturday. "You can see the look of not just anger, but fear, complete and total fear in his eyes. And that's why he needed to run back immediately to Mar-a-Lago so that he [could] go ahead and he could inflate that deflated ego of his."
Trump was formally arraigned Tuesday and pleaded not guilty to 34 counts, including for falsifying business records in a way that prosecutors described as a "catch and kill" scheme to breach election laws in 2016.
Details from the unsealed indictment, a fact sheet, and a press conference from Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg (D) indicate that the case revolves around three people Trump and some in his orbit allegedly funneled hush money payments to.
Those three are a Trump Tower doorman, porn star Stormy Daniels, and former Playboy model Karen McDougal. Cohen helped facilitate some of those hush money payments. He admitted to doing so by taking out a home equity loan and establishing a shell company to wire $130,000 to Daniels's lawyer to keep quiet about an alleged affair that occurred a decade prior.
Cohen was then reimbursed by the Trump Organization for "legal expenses," in documentation that prosecutors allege was fraudulent. Bragg alleged Trump and his associates falsified those reimbursement records to mask criminal election activity. Trump has adamantly denied wrongdoing.
“I’m glad that accountability is finally at Donald’s doorstep,” Cohen added. “But at the end of the day, it’s a very sad day for America in the fact that he’s the first president in U.S. history to be indicted.”
“It’s such a terrible look for the United States of America, especially in the eyes of foreigners, in the eyes of our allies,” he continued. “And I think it also shows an inherent weakness to our adversaries.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Cohen pleaded guilty to multiple charges in 2018, including one related to the Daniels payment and perjury. He was a key witness in the Manhattan investigation against Trump.
Trump is due back in court for a hearing in December.