It’s been difficult to keep up with Donald Trump and all his legal woes these days. With 91 charges under four separate indictments, not to mention two ugly civil cases – one from E. Jean Carroll, an advice columnist who alleges Trump raped her in an NYC dressing room, as well as a fraud case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James – Trump has his hands full.
The case brought by James landed Trump in New York’s Supreme Court this week. It may have been the case to break the camel’s back, so to speak.
Trump Drops Suit Against Longtime Loyalist
Back in April, Trump went on the offensive, suing his ex-lawyer Michael Cohen. The $500 million lawsuit alleged that Cohen breached his professional obligations as Trump’s confidant and attorney through the publication of his books, podcasts, and media appearances.
However, this past Thursday, Trump dropped the suit against his once loyal confidant and “fixer,” as one outlet called Cohen.
“Plaintiff, President Donald J. Trump, by and through undersigned counsel, hereby gives notice that …. he is voluntarily dismissing this action without prejudice,” Trump’s legal team said in a court filing made in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
Cohen penned a book in 2020 entitled “”Disloyal: A Memoir” which became a New York Times’ best-seller.
The tale outlines Cohens time working as an attorney for Donald Trump from 2006 to 2018, his felony convictions, and other personal affairs. In the book, Cohen describes “Trump’s relentless willingness to lie, exaggerate, mislead, or manipulate.”
He characterizes his former boss as “a man without a soul—a man who courts evangelicals and then trashes them, panders to the common man, but then rips off small business owners, a con-man who will do or say absolutely anything to win, regardless of the cost to his family, his associates, or his country.”
Previously, Cohen had dismissed Trump’s accusations as “frivolous.”
“I look forward to Donald’s deposition under oath and proving the frivolous nature of the lawsuit,” Cohen told NBC News in a statement.
Trump was scheduled to be deposed by Cohen on Monday. Cohen’s legal team welcomed Trump’s filing to dismiss the lawsuit.
A Trump spokesperson said the former president was merely temporarily pausing his legal fight with Cohen due to his other legal cases and that he would resume his claims later.
Trump Seems Stressed
Trump’s most recent battle – one that could see his entire empire decimated – seems to be the first to really break Trump’s normally confident airs.
He lashed out in front of reporters outside the courtroom, visibly distressed.
“Why are we trying a case that the appellate division of New York state has just ruled, recently, that we won 80% of our case? And this judge refuses to acknowledge the ruling.”
Trump continued to blast Justice Arthur F. Engoron, the presiding judge in his fraud case.
“This rogue judge … a Trump hater. The only one who hates Trump more is his associate up there … this person that works with him and she’s screaming into his ear on almost every time we ask a question. It’s a disgrace. You want to know the truth? It’s a disgrace.”
He then went after James. “The attorney general is a total … she’s a corrupt person. A terrible person.”
“This is a rigged court,” Trump declared.
He became more animated as he said, “Anyone who does business in New York state is crazy. When you have a radical left attorney general like Letitia James, who’s a disgrace to our country, who got elected on the fact that she’s going to take down President Trump …”
Trump proclaimed the cases against him amount to election interference, all used to prevent him from running in 2024.
He wrapped up by calling for Judge Engoron to be disbarred and removed from office and proclaiming all the accusations against him amount to nothing more than a “witch hunt.”
“This is a pure witch hunt for purposes of interfering with the elections of the United States of America. It’s totally illegal.”
Jennifer Galardi is the politics and culture editor for 19FortyFive.com. She has a Master’s in Public Policy from Pepperdine University and produces and hosts the podcast Connection with conversations that address health, culture, politics and policy. In a previous life, she wrote for publications in the health, fitness, and nutrition space. In addition, her pieces have been published in the Epoch Times and Pepperdine Policy Review. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
