Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

After Michael Cohen Admits to Lying to Prosecutors About a Trump Russia Deal, One of Trump's Biggest Lies About Russia Comes Back to Haunt Him

Go to the videotape.

Shortly before he was inaugurated,in his first post-election press conference, President-Elect Donald Trump denied having any ties to Russia.

"You are fake news," Trump exclaimed as he repudiated rumors he had a financial relationship with Moscow.


"I have no deals in Russia," Trump said. "I have no deals that could happen in Russia and I have no loans with Russia."

Trump boasted that "as a real estate developer, I have very very little debt." This was not true; his businesses owed nearly $2 billion to at least 150 separate entities at the time. "But I have no loans with Russia," he added.

Trump repeated these points several more times, stressing that he had "very low debt" and large assets. "So I have no loans, no dealings, and no pending deals" with Russia, he said.

Trump also expressed his desire to get along with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Watch Trump's remarks below:

The president's cover story blew up on Thursday when Trump's former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen pleaded guilty in federal court to lying to Congress about plans to build a Trump Tower Moscow. Court papers were filed in Manhattan by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

While Cohen initially told the Intelligence Committees in the US House and Senate that efforts to erect a Trump property in Russia had fizzled by January 2016, he admitted Thursday that negotiations continued well into the summer... after Trump had secured the Republican presidential nomination.

This could have enormous legal ramifications for the president.

“The potential significance of Cohen’s cooperation is immense,” said Kendall Coffey, a former United States Attorney in Florida. "It cannot be determined if Cohen’s cooperation will lead to other criminal allegations. But for most high-powered business people with complex business interests, having one’s personal attorney become a star witness for the prosecution is the worst possible legal nightmare."

Beyond that, Trump earlier this month submitted written answers to Mueller's questions about Trump's ties to Russia. So far, we know he denies knowing about the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting or Roger Stone's collusion with Wikileaks.

Presumably, Trump stuck to his "no ties to Russia" theme. Based on Cohen's testimony, however, Trump more likely than not knew Cohen was doing his bidding in Russia. And if Trump lied about it to Mueller, he committed perjury, a federal crime.

The revelation last week that Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort was double-dealing behind Mueller's back also raises the odds Trump lied to Mueller. Trump has not ruled out offering Manafort a pardon, though it would not legally benefit either of them.

Trump, in his response to the news about Cohen, told reporters Cohen was lying to get a more lenient sentence. Rudy Giuliani, Trump's TV lawyer, said the same thing.

For nearly a year, candidate Trump was in secret talks with the Kremlin for projects that would benefit businessman Trump.

Trump said Thursday he was running his business and his campaign simultaneously because there was a chance he could lose the election.

And although there is nothing illegal about running a business and a campaign at the same time, Trump lied to keep his financial interests hidden from the public — just like when he refused to release his tax returns.

The documents filed by Mueller say that Cohen discussed the project with Trump more than three times between January and June of 2016.

Specifically, Cohen was tasked with setting up a meeting between Trump and Putin and, given his role as fixer, Cohen would be the intermediary.

Cohen's account, according to Mueller's records, was corroborated by "Individual 2," who met with Cohen at Trump Tower in New York on June 14. This is when Trump's dream of a structure in Moscow died.

Why "Project Moscow" ultimately fell apart is not yet known. BuzzFeed News reported on Thursday the Trump Organization wanted to gift Putin the $50 million Trump Tower Moscow penthouse.

Bloomberg's Noah Feldman thinks Trump's campaign advisors caught wind of the backchannelling and talked him out of it.

"It seems likely," wrote Feldman, "that the deal was killed not because Trump realized it was wrong but because outside advisers told him it would look bad."

Regardless, Cohen's latest confession has vaporized Trump's assertions he had no interests in or pending with Russia.

More from People/donald-trump

Jesse Watters
Fox News

Jesse Watters Dragged After Adding Another Mind-Boggling Rule For 'Real Men'

Fox News host Jesse Watters, who is apparently an authority of what it means to be a manly man, gave jazz hands to make a point about how "real men" should or shouldn't wave.

The target of his ridicule was Tim Walz, the enthusiastic Democratic Minnesota governor and vice presidential candidate who often greets the public by raising both hands in the air to wave.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of crowd at town hall and Rep. Mike Flood
@MorePerfectUS/X; KETV NewsWatch 7

GOP Rep. Goes Viral For His Response To Crowd Chanting 'Tax The Rich' At Town Hall

Nebraska Republican Representative Mike Flood was criticized following his incredulous response to a crowd that chanted "Tax the rich!" during a town hall meeting.

The Columbus High School auditorium hosted the town hall on Tuesday evening, drawing "nearly 380" attendees, according to local network KETV Omaha. The event was lively, with Flood facing both sharp criticism over Trump administration policies and some appreciation for showing up in person.

Keep ReadingShow less
Elon Musk
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Awkward Typo In Elon Musk's Bizarre 'Education Department' Trump Meme Is A Total Self-Own

Billionaire Elon Musk was widely mocked after he celebrated President Donald Trump's executive order to begin to dismantle the Department of Education (DOE) by posting a meme of Trump at the department's grave, only for an awkward misspelling to get all the attention.

Polling indicates that eliminating the Education Department is largely unpopular, with 60% of registered voters opposing the move, according to a Quinnipiac University survey conducted March 6-10. Support stands at 33%, with opposition particularly strong among Democrats—98% oppose it, while just 1% support it.

Keep ReadingShow less
JB Pritzker; Donald Trump
Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Dem Governor Reveals Trump's Bonkers Demand In Exchange For Equipment During COVID

Illinois Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker revealed during a speech this week that he clashed with President Donald Trump during the first Trump administration after Trump promised necessary medical equipment during the COVID pandemic on the condition that Pritzker praise him publicly.

Five years ago, the United States was grappling with the initial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The country had entered shutdowns that had severe economic consequences, leaving businesses and industries on the brink of collapse.

Keep ReadingShow less
Scrabble tiles spelling the word scam
Scam spelled with scrabbles on a wooden table

People Break Down How They Realized An Entire Industry Was A Total Scam

We unfortunately live in a world where scams are on the rise.

Thankfully, some of them are pretty easy to detect, such as an automated call from the IRS telling you a warrant is out for your arrest, or an email claiming to be from Amazon or the USPS asking for your credit card information, only to look closer and see the email address is a yahoo account.

Keep ReadingShow less