On Tuesday, Michael Cohen, once President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer and later one of his fiercest critics, appeared on Dan Abrams’ SiriusXM show to discuss a wide range of topics—from his treatment in prison to a plea for pardons.
During the interview, Cohen revealed that he has written letters to both President Joe Biden and Donald Trump urging sweeping clemency for Americans with criminal records who have paid their debt to society. Reading from the letter he sent to Trump, Cohen said:
“It is urged clearly, unequivocally, and without delay that the president issue an executive order granting a full and unconditional pardon to all non-violent felons who have completed their sentences. This act would be more than a gesture of compassion.”
He continued:
“It would be a defining stroke of moral leadership. Over 70 million Americans carry the lifelong burden of a criminal record, despite having fulfilled their legal debt to society. They are our neighbors, coworkers, parents, veterans, and citizens who live under silent exile, denied employment, housing, education, and the right to fully participate in the country they call home. With a single act, the burden can be lifted.”
Cohen even coined a name for the plan: “TEPO, the Trump Emancipation Proclamation Order.” He argued that such a move could be “the single most important act of kindness that any president can bestow on 70 million Americans and their families.”
While this appeal may surprise some given their adversarial past, it comes amid a historically expansive use of Trump’s clemency powers in his second presidential term. Since returning to the White House in January 2025, President Trump has issued thousands of pardons and commutations, including blanket clemency for roughly 1,500 individuals connected to the January 6, 2021, Capitol events and a number of high-profile figures such as Ross Ulbricht and others.
Trump’s defenders argue these pardons are part of his ongoing fight against what he describes as a politicized justice system, correcting overreach and restoring fairness where the courts or prosecutors exceeded their bounds. Opponents often frame the clemency spree as politically motivated, though Trump’s supporters see it as a restoration of constitutional pardon authority to benefit everyday Americans and loyal citizens alike.
Cohen’s Prison Treatment and Claims About Bill Barr
Cohen also recounted his own prison experience after being sentenced in 2018 to three years for tax evasion, bank fraud, and lying to Congress. He described harsh conditions and claimed that then-Attorney General Bill Barr had him sent back to prison under what he characterized as “draconian conditions,” with extreme cold and heat in holding areas that made his time there especially difficult.
Break with MeidasTouch and Media Fallout
Cohen addressed his recent departure from the MeidasTouch Network, a left-leaning media company that cut ties with him after a Substack post in which he suggested prosecutors coerced him into testifying against Trump. Cohen insisted:
“It is true, not personal. … I specifically state that I am not here to defend Donald Trump. That is not the intention of this statement which I wrote or my Substack article.”
He described the split as a misunderstanding driven by headlines rather than the full context of his words.
The Trump–Cohen History
The rift between Trump and Cohen runs deep. Once a loyal lawyer who said he would “take a bullet” for Trump, Cohen later turned on his former boss, cooperating with prosecutors and ultimately testifying in Trump’s New York criminal case—where Trump was convicted on business-record charges related to reimbursements made to Cohen during the 2016 campaign.
At the time Cohen was seeking a pardon from Trump, that relief never materialized. Trump publicly brushed off questions about pardoning Cohen, reportedly saying, “most people will flip if the Government lets them out of trouble.”
Watch the full interview below:
