Another Hero of the Trump Resistance Bites the Dust
Michael Cohen’s latest turn exposes a recurring Trump-era habit: confusing a useful witness with a moral hero.
President Donald Trump hailed his former lawyer Michael Cohen as having "fully RECANTED" his testimony against him, a claim that reflects the public's fascination with consuming stories from the Trump era as much as it does about Cohen himself. Cohen's statement goes beyond his own words, which acknowledged feeling pressured by prosecutors.
Despite this, the reversal is significant, as Cohen once stood out as one of Trump's most recognizable defectors. Now, Trump praises Cohen for his "Wisdom and Courage." This story is not merely about Cohen, but about the public's tendency to elevate individuals with mixed records into symbols of political value, such as information capable of hurting Trump.
Cohen's background was far from exemplary; in 2018, he pleaded guilty to various crimes and served a three-year prison sentence. Nevertheless, his defection from Trump led to a new public persona: repentant insider, truth-teller, and resistance figure. The same phenomenon can be seen with other figures like Michael Avenatti, who gained national attention while representing Stormy Daniels but ultimately faced prison time for fraud and embezzlement.
The public's error lies in assuming that being against Trump automatically makes someone admirable. This sentiment is widespread, with 92% of Democrats viewing the Republican Party unfavorably and 93% of Republicans feeling the same about Democrats. In this polarized environment, the "enemy of my enemy" can become a surprisingly forgiving character reference.
However, politics is a poor background-check service, and people can be truthful about Trump while still being self-interested or dishonest about other matters. The experiences of Cohen, Avenatti, and future members of the Trump resistance highlight a lesson: American politics rewards simple roles, but real people rarely fit neatly into their assigned parts.
The next insider who breaks with Trump may have valuable information, but their credibility and ability to prove their statements will be the true test of their impact.
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