Returning to the story, here is what Trump said on April 21st, 2018:
//The New York Times ... are going out of their way to destroy Michael Cohen and his relationship with me in the hope that he will 'flip.' They use non-existent 'sources' and a drunk/drugged up loser who hates Michael, a fine person with a wonderful family. [i]Michael is a businessman for his own account/lawyer who I have always liked & respected.[i] Most people will flip if the Government lets them out of trouble, even if it means lying or making up stories. Sorry, I don’t see Michael doing that despite the horrible Witch Hunt and the dishonest media! //
https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/987679848284999680
(my italics)
Here is Trump today:
// If anyone is looking for a good lawyer, I would strongly suggest that you don’t retain the services of Michael Cohen! ... I feel very badly for Paul Manafort ... unlike Michael Cohen, he refused to “break” - make up stories in order to get a “deal.” Such respect for a brave man!//
Ah, well. Better luck picking your friends next time!
Interesting to see Trump sticking with Manafort so solidly, though, even to the point of putting "justice" -- as in, the verdict of a jury of US citizens, reached after four days of deliberations, that lies at the heart of the US legal system -- in inverted commas, as if he doesn't trust the verdict of the jury. I was not at all surprised by his derision of the prosecution case, but after a verdict has been reached it seems a bizarre decision.