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Trump says Michael Cohen recanted testimony in New York hush-money case

The former president claimed his ex-attorney was pressured into giving evidence against him.

AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made

Published
Michael Cohen attends the second day of the Democratic National Convention on August 20, 2024, in Chicago.

What this story says

  • President Donald Trump announced on Friday that Michael Cohen has recanted his testimony in the New York hush-money case.
  • Trump stated that Cohen, his former attorney and a key prosecution witness, was pressured and coerced into giving evidence.
  • The New York case involves 34 felony counts of falsifying business records against Trump.
  • Newsweek reported it sought comment from Cohen and the Manhattan District Attorney's Office but received no response.

Who covered it

Left 25%(3)Centre 8%(1)Right 67%(8)

Percentages are shares of the 12 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 1 of the 13 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .

Trust

86/100

Craft

95/100

Hype

15/100

13 sources · methodology

President Donald Trump said on Friday that Michael Cohen, his former attorney, has recanted his testimony in the New York hush-money case. Trump stated that Cohen had been pressured and coerced into making statements. The case, brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, involves 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. Cohen was a central witness for the prosecution, having arranged a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 election. Newsweek reported it contacted Cohen by phone and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office by email for comment but had not received a response.

Coverage comparison

The reports agree that Donald Trump announced Michael Cohen had recanted his testimony in the New York hush-money case, and that Trump claimed Cohen was pressured and coerced. They also agree that Cohen was a key prosecution witness and that the case involved 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. Newsweek reported it sought comment from Cohen and the Manhattan District Attorney's Office but received no response.

Omissions

None of the right-rated digests mention that Newsweek contacted Michael Cohen and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office for comment and had not received a response. None of the left-rated digests mention that Newsweek contacted Michael Cohen and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office for comment and had not received a response.

Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 1 time, most recently on 4 Sept 2026, 21:15, and will add the sides that appear.

How each side covered it

Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.

Left

3 rated outlets

  • The left-rated reports highlighted Trump's claim that Michael Cohen had "fully recanted" his testimony. They noted Trump's description of Cohen as the prosecution's "star witness" and his assertion that Cohen was "pressured" and "coerced" into making untrue statements. These reports also included Trump's statement that Cohen's recantation was an "Act of Bravery" and a "Great Credit to the Justice System in New York City and State." One report noted Trump celebrated his "arch-enemy's shock submission" and vowed a "major new battle."

Centre

1 rated outlet

  • The centre-rated report stated that President Donald Trump said Michael Cohen had recanted his testimony in the New York hush money case, in which Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts. It noted Cohen was a "star witness" for the prosecution after representing Trump and aiding in the $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels. The report included Trump's statement that Cohen had been pressured and coerced into saying things he said in court. It also mentioned Trump's post on Truth Social, stating, "His Act of Bravery is a Great Credit to the Justice System in New York City and State." The report noted Newsweek was not able to immediately verify the claim and had reached out to Cohen and the Manhattan District Attorney's Office for comment.

Right

8 rated outlets

  • The right-rated reports focused on President Trump's announcement that Michael Cohen had recanted his testimony, often using phrases like "WOW" or "Witch hunt" in their headlines. They quoted Trump thanking Cohen for "having the Wisdom and Courage to step forward" and do "the right thing." These reports highlighted Trump's claim that Cohen was "pressured" and "coerced" into making false statements and that Cohen was the prosecution's "star witness." Some reports noted Trump's demand that cases against him be "terminated" and dismissed following Cohen's recantation.

Questions about this coverage

How did the left and right cover Trump says Michael Cohen recanted testimony in New York hush-money case?
Of the 12 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 25% are rated left, 8% are rated centre, 67% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 13. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
Is Trump says Michael Cohen recanted testimony in New York hush-money case left or right?
Neither side dominates it. Of the 12 rated outlets on this story, 25% are rated left, 8% are rated centre, 67% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
Is the coverage of Trump says Michael Cohen recanted testimony in New York hush-money case biased?
Trump says Michael Cohen recanted testimony in New York hush-money case is one event reported by 13 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
Which outlets covered Trump says Michael Cohen recanted testimony in New York hush-money case?
13 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
What did Donald Trump claim about Michael Cohen?
President Donald Trump claimed that his former attorney, Michael Cohen, has recanted his testimony in the New York hush-money case. Trump stated that Cohen was pressured and coerced into giving evidence against him.
What is the New York hush-money case about?
The New York hush-money case involves 34 felony counts of falsifying business records charged against Donald Trump. Prosecutors alleged that payments made to conceal an affair were falsely recorded as legal expenses.
Did Michael Cohen respond to requests for comment?
Newsweek reported that it contacted Michael Cohen by phone and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office by email for comment but had not received a response from either party.

Read it at the source

13 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.

Left

3

Centre

1

Right

8

Not rated

1

How did this read?

About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.

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