Michael Cohen, a former lawyer for ex-President Donald Trump and recent “star witness” in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s controversial “hush money” case, has expressed his intention to run for Congress in 2026. In an interview with New York Magazine, Cohen revealed plans to challenge U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) for the representation of New York’s 12th Congressional District. Cohen commented on Nadler’s long tenure by saying, “We thank him for his service, but it’s enough already.”
Cohen plans to announce his campaign on November 6, one day after the upcoming elections. He aims to unseat Nadler, one of the longest-serving members of Congress, who has been in office for over three decades. The disgraced lawyer, who was imprisoned for fraud and perjury, stated that he would have preferred to run this year, but was unable to do so after experiencing a “mental breakdown” due to the Trump case. “What a great country America is,” he said. “Anyone can run for Congress — even con men.”
In a detailed feature by New York Magazine, Michael Cohen described his decision to turn against Donald Trump, which he attributed to not receiving a job in Trump’s administration or a pardon for his legal issues. Cohen explained that his unusual behavior before the trial, including several TikTok rants against the former president, was a result of insomnia.
“It’s crazy. I would say for my very first day, I’m not joking now, 90% of the time that I was on the stand, he was sleeping. Well, I shouldn’t say sleeping. He was with his eyes closed and slumped over,” Cohen said of the Trump trial. “Here’s the crazy s***: The jury can see him! They are watching him! Now, if I was a juror and the defendant is so disinterested in his own case? I’d be p****d!”
Despite many legal analysts reporting that Cohen’s testimony was underwhelming, a Manhattan jury still voted to convict a former president on highly questionable charges. Trump is set to be sentenced on July 11, just days before the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
Cohen’s former attorney, Robert Costello, made remarks during a House Judiciary Committee hearing last month that have cast significant doubt on Cohen’s testimony. During questioning by Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL), Costello claimed that Cohen had confided in him that he didn’t actually believe adult film star Stormy Daniels’ allegations that she had an affair with Trump. Instead, Cohen allegedly chose to address the matter to prevent any embarrassment it could cause Trump and his family, particularly Melania Trump, Costello said.
“I read Michael Cohen’s testimony from yesterday’s trial in New York on the way down on the train, and virtually every statement he made about me is another lie,” Costello told the panel.
