Ottawa city council to consider motion to rename Trump Avenue

Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen, who once called Trump a “rat,” has not personally requested a presidential pardon, according to Cohen himself. However, Cohen submitted a pardon application to the White House after his request was denied by the Biden administration. During an interview with CNN last month, Cohen stated he had not personally asked Trump for a pardon but had submitted a pardon application after being denied one by the Biden administration.

Despite his past criticism of Trump, Cohen recently appeared on Cohen's radio show and expressed appreciation for the president's late reconciliation. Trump's comments on Wednesday indicated he would consider pardoning Cohen "if everything is checking out." This follows a recent public reconciliation between the two, which began with Trump joining Cohen's radio show.

In the past, Cohen was one of Trump's most loyal defenders during the 2016 presidential election, working as his personal lawyer and fixer. However, Cohen pleaded guilty to federal crimes in 2018, including lying under oath to Congress, and served over a year in prison. Cohen has since emerged as a key witness in Trump's criminal trial in New York, where he testified about the hush money payment to Stormy Daniels and acknowledged he might have referred to Trump as a "Cheeto-dusted cartoon villain" and a "boorish cartoon misogynist."

A presidential pardon could potentially absolve Cohen of some of the federal consequences of his past convictions.