Michael Cohen, ex-fixer for Trump who once testified against him, hosts president on his radio show – as it happened

The Guardian · 🇬🇧 public United Kingdom · Aug 21, 2026 · 3346 words · By Vivian Ho; George Chidi; Robert Mackey; Lucy Campbell; Dani Anguiano; Anna Betts; Joseph Gedeon; David Smith; Andrew Lawrence; Michael Sainato

US Foreign Policy and Sanctions Election Integrity and Misinformation Donald Trump's Legal and Political Conduct

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What to know about US Foreign Policy and Sanctions

Melania Trump nods to questions around absence: 'I heard you missed me.

Claims checked 21

Techniques found 3

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Right coverage

Left20%

Center80%

Right0%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Melania Trump nods to questions around absence: 'I heard you missed me.

Why it matters

Here I am,” says Melania Trump, to laughs from the audience.

Common ground

Despite previously comparing him to a ‘mobster’, Trump’s former personal lawyer showers him with praise.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling, Transfer: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this US Foreign Policy and Sanctions story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Trump’s former fixer, Michael Cohen, who turned on the president in 2019, when he compared him to a mobster during congressional testimony, executed another 180-degree turn, showering the president with praise during a friendly conversation between the two men on Cohen’s New York City radio show?
How does this story connect US Foreign Policy and Sanctions with Election Integrity and Misinformation over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2026/aug/20/donald-trump-national-debt-…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 3 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 90% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Name Calling / Labeling 80% confidence

Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.

Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Transfer 70% confidence

Projecting positive or negative qualities of one thing onto another to make it accepted or rejected.

Why it matters: Recognizing transfer helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 21 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 11

check_circle Corroborated 8

help Insufficient Evidence 1

verified Verified By Reference 1

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Claim 1: “Trump’s former fixer, Michael Cohen, who turned on the president in 2019, when he compared him to a mobster during congressional testimony, executed another 180-degree turn, showering the president with praise during a friendly conversation between the two men on Cohen’s New York City radio show.”

CORROBORATED

Web search results confirm that Michael Cohen and Donald Trump have spoken again and that Cohen has a new radio show where they have had friendly conversations, marking a shift from their previous public warfare.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Ezra Cohen, also known as Ezra Cohen-Watnick, is an American intelligence official who served as the acting under secretary of defense for intelligence during the first Trump Administration. He previo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ezra_Cohen

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Michael Dean Cohen (born August 25, 1966) is an American former lawyer who served as an attorney for Donald Trump, the 45th and 47th president of the United States, from 2006 to 2018. Cohen served as …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Cohen_(lawyer)

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — An alleged one-night sexual encounter took place in 2006 between businessman and later U.S. President Donald Trump and pornographic film actress Stormy Daniels, followed by a conspiracy on the part of…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stormy_Daniels–Donald_Trump_sc…

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 2: “Trump ordered his navy secretary to redesign a new aircraft carrier, the USS Doris Miller - to scrap the modern electromagnetic system used to launch fighter jets, and install old-fashioned steam-powered catapults instead”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web search results confirm that Donald Trump ordered the redesign of the USS Doris Miller to replace electromagnetic launch systems (EMALS) with steam-powered catapults.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Doris "Dorie" Miller (October 12, 1919 – November 24, 1943) was a U.S. Navy sailor who was the first Black recipient of the Navy Cross and a nominee for the Medal of Honor. As a mess attendant second …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doris_Miller

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The following things are named after Donald Trump, the 45th and 47th president of the United States.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_things_named_after_Don…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — USS Doris Miller (CVN-81) is planned to be the fourth Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier of the United States Navy. Doris Miller is expected to be laid down in 2026, and commissioned in February 20…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Doris_Miller

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 3: “The US treasury department announced sanctions on Thursday against 10 people it says formed a courier network that smuggled hundreds of millions of dollars to Hezbollah”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 4: “CNN reports that the navy is considering another change to the same ship: removing the name of Miller... and naming it instead the USS Donald Trump.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results report that the US Navy is considering renaming the USS Doris Miller to the USS Donald Trump.

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web search NEUTRAL — USS Doris Miller or ‘USS Donald Trump’? New report hints at potential rechristening of future aircraft carrier CVN-81. 3 hours ago.Who was Doris Miller? Is Trump behind US Navy's effort to rename airc…
https://news.google.com/stories/CAAqNggKIjBDQklTSGpvSmMzUnZj…

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web search NEUTRAL — The USS Doris Miller (CVN-81) is the fourth Ford-class carrier planned after the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79), and USS Enterprise (CVN-80). (Picture source: HII).
https://www.armyrecognition.com/news/navy-news/2026/us-navy-…

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web search NEUTRAL — The US Navy is reportedly considering renaming the future USS Doris Miller aircraft carrier in honour of Donald Trump, while exploring another warship to preserve Miller’s name.
https://www.outlookindia.com/international/us-navy-considers…

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Claim 5: “Marco Gutierrez, the Mexican-born founder of Latinos for Trump told MSNBC in September 2016... 'If you don’t do something about it, you’re going to have taco trucks on every corner'”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided for this claim in the gathered results.

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Claim 6: “The website, Median Strategies, abruptly shut down and withdrew its polling earlier this week”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 7: “Cohen admitted to CNN that he had submitted a formal request for a pardon for the crimes he admitted to in 2018.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 8: “Wahab, the first Muslim woman and Afghan American elected to the California legislature”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 9: “In 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty in federal court to orchestrating $280,000 in payments during Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign to buy the silence of two women”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 10: “the city’s mayor, Karen Bass, had suggested during a heated mayoral debate that taco trucks... were a nuisance she compared to homeless encampments”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm that during a debate, Mayor Karen Bass compared street taco vendors to homeless encampments.

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web search NEUTRAL — Bass also compared street taco vendors to homeless encampments during the exchange, a line that drew audible reaction from the room.Sherman Oaks debate exchange. Bass said Raman had missed the second-…
https://www.el-balad.com/17043633

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web search NEUTRAL — Los Angeles Mayor, Stung in Debate, Eases Street Vending Crackdown. Mayor Karen Bass said food vendors discourage restaurant patrons, mentioning them alongside homeless encampments. Her opponent, Nith…
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/27/us/los-angeles-street-ven…

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web search NEUTRAL — Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’ terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad reelection campaign just got worse after Wednesday night’s debate in Sherman Oaks.
https://dnyuz.com/2026/08/20/l-a-mayor-karen-bass-lost-last-…

schedule

Claim 11: “Super Pacs connected to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac) poured money into the race.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 12: “Israeli airstrikes on a Syrian airbase near Aleppo prompted Ankara to accuse Israel of using the incident as a pretext to violate Syrian sovereignty.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 13: “The non-partisan Cook Political Report updated its midterm election forecast to rate the US Senate races in both Texas and Iowa... as toss ups that could break for Democrats.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm that the Cook Political Report updated its forecast to rate the Senate races in Texas and Iowa as toss-ups.

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web search NEUTRAL — Two key US Senate races now look like toss-ups instead of leaning in favor of Republicans, according to a new analysis from the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.
https://www.livemint.com/politics/senate-races-in-texas-iowa…

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web search NEUTRAL — Meanwhile, The Cook Political Report currently rates Alaska, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Texas as toss-ups. Five are Republican-held seats, and two are Democrat-held seats.
https://www.newsmax.com/politics/democrats-advantages-midter…

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web search NEUTRAL — The Cook Political Report on Aug. 20 moved the Senate races in Texas and Iowa from Lean Republican to Toss Up, its most competitive rating, and shifted both states’ governor’s races in the Democrats’ …
https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/election-forecaster-moves-t…

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Claim 14: “The White House faced fresh questions over whether Donald Trump’s closest aide, Natalie Harp, had access to US government secrets without security clearance.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm that the White House faced questions regarding Natalie Harp's access to government secrets without full security clearance, with reports mentioning internal concerns from the Secret Service.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Kristen Holmes (born 1986 or 1987) is an American journalist and the Senior White House Correspondent for CNN.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kristen_Holmes

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Margo Mcatee Martin (born July 24, 1995) is an American spokesperson and political advisor who has served as the White House communications advisor since 2025.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margo_Martin

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Natalie Harp (born 1991) is an American political aide and former television anchor who has served as special assistant and executive assistant to the president of the United States since 2025. In 201…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natalie_Harp

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 15: “Track Aipac... recently reported that the lobby had spent nearly $6.4m to support Hernandez.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 16: “Eric Swalwell... resigned in April after facing sexual misconduct allegations.”

CORROBORATED

Cross-referenced reports from CNBC and Al Jazeera confirm that Eric Swalwell resigned in April following allegations of sexual misconduct.

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cross reference SUPPORTS — On April 13, Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and Rep. Tony Gonzalez, a Texas Republican, said they would resign in the face of separate allegations of sexual misconduct
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/21/sheila-cherfilus-mccormick-r…

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cross reference SUPPORTS — in April, US Representative Eric Swalwell abandoned his campaign and resigned from Congress amid allegations of sexual misconduct.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/longform/2026/5/31/could-demo…

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Claim 17: “She [Aisha Wahab] won the primary for the special election for the final months of Swalwell’s term by more than 20 points over Melissa Hernandez”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 18: “Cohen later testified to a Manhattan court in 2024 that he submitted fake invoices for legal services in 2016 to cover up what were, in fact, reimbursements for $130,000 hush-money payments to Daniels”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 19: “Progressive Aisha Wahab was elected to Congress in a special election following a bitter intra-party battle over the seat formerly held by Eric Swalwell.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources, including Wikipedia and news reports, confirm that Aisha Wahab was elected to Congress in a special election to fill the seat formerly held by Eric Swalwell.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Eric Michael Swalwell (; born November 16, 1980) is an American former politician who served as a U.S. representative from California from 2013 to 2026. A member of the Democratic Party, Swalwell prev…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Swalwell

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 United States House of Representatives elections in California will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect the 52 U.S. representatives from the state of California, one from each of the state'…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_House_of_Re…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Aisha Wahab (born January 11, 1987) is an American politician who has served since 2026 as the U.S. representative from California's 14th congressional district. A member of the Democratic Party, Waha…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aisha_Wahab

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 20: “Miller joined the US Navy in 1939 “as a mess attendant one of the only occupational specialties then open to a Black man”.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 21: “A 21-year-old recent college graduate was behind an anonymous website that put out widely shared fake election polling in Wisconsin, Nevada and California.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence for this claim discusses Vault 7 and WikiLeaks generally, but contains no information regarding a 21-year-old college graduate creating a website for fake election polling in Wisconsin, Nevada, and California.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Federally recognized tribes are those Native American tribes recognized by the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs as holding a government-to-government relationship with the U.S.federal government…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_federally_recognized_t…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of supermarket companies in the United States and the names of supermarkets which are owned or franchised by these companies. For supermarkets worldwide, see List of supermarket chains.…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_supermarket_chains_in_…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Below is a list of pages that provide a list of landmarks in a particular area or on a particular topic.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lists_of_landmarks

+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.