President Trump took a shot at his former lawyer and self-proclaimed "fixer" Michael Cohen this morning, hours after Cohen pleaded guilty to eight felony charges — including a campaign finance charge he says came at the President's request.
"If anyone is looking for a good lawyer, I would strongly suggest that you don’t retain the services of Michael Cohen!" Trump tweeted.
RELATED: Michael Cohen pleads guilty, implicates Trump
Trump also falsely claimed in a later tweet that Cohen's campaign finance violations were "not a crime" — despite the fact that Cohen had agreed to plead guilty to the charges.
The eight charges to which Cohen agreed to plead guilty included campaign finance violation charges relating to hush money payments to two women who had affairs with Trump.
Wednesday's tweets were the first times Trump had directly addressed Cohen by name since the attorney pleaded guilty to eight charges on Tuesday afternoon. He chose not to address the issue at a campaign rally in West Virginia last night.
If anyone is looking for a good lawyer, I would strongly suggest that you don’t retain the services of Michael Cohen!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 22, 2018
I feel very badly for Paul Manafort and his wonderful family. “Justice” took a 12 year old tax case, among other things, applied tremendous pressure on him and, unlike Michael Cohen, he refused to “break” - make up stories in order to get a “deal.” Such respect for a brave man!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 22, 2018
A large number of counts, ten, could not even be decided in the Paul Manafort case. Witch Hunt!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 22, 2018
Michael Cohen plead guilty to two counts of campaign finance violations that are not a crime. President Obama had a big campaign finance violation and it was easily settled!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 22, 2018
In another series of tweets, Trump praised his former campaign manager Paul Manafort as "brave" for not accepting a plea deal in his federal trial, in which he was found guilty on eight of 18 charges on Wednesday.
"I feel very badly for Paul Manafort and his wonderful family. “Justice” took a 12-year-old tax case, among other things, applied tremendous pressure on him and, unlike Michael Cohen, he refused to “break” - make up stories in order to get a “deal.” Such respect for a brave man!" Trump tweeted.
Trump also claimed Manafort's trial was a "witch hunt," saying that "a large number of counts, ten, could not even be decided."
Jurors did not acquit Manafort on those 10 charges but instead could not reach a consensus. The government can still choose to re-try Manafort on those 10 charges.
Manafort was found guilty of two charges of bank fraud, a charge of hiding an overseas bank account, and five counts of tax fraud relating to his pro-Russia work in Ukraine. He faces another trial next month on charges that he failed to register as a foreign lobbyist throughout that pro-Russia work.
Trump decried Manafort's guilty verdict to pool reporters prior to the rally last night.
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders declined to comment on the Cohen charges shortly after news broke on Tuesday.
Alex Hider is a writer for the E.W. Scripps National Desk. Follow him on Twitter @alexhider.
