Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's ex-lawyer, accused the former president of running the "greatest grift in U.S. history" by promoting the Big Lie, while also believing that Trump will not run for president again.
The former president had previously hinted that he may be mulling a potential run. He said in a Fox News interview earlier in November that he thinks "a lot of people are going to be very happy" when asked about another bid for the presidency in 2024.
But Cohen cast doubt on these plans Sunday during an interview on NBC News' Meet the Press Sunday morning. Instead, Cohen said he believes Trump is using the speculation about a presidential run to raise money.
"This should become a documentary, and it should be called The Greatest Grift in U.S. History," Cohen told NBC host Chuck Todd.
Cohen accused Trump of "grifting off of the American people, these supporters, these individuals that are just sending money to him at record levels."
"He makes a statement that, 'I'm thinking about it. I'm thinking about it.' That's only to keep the grift growing," he alleged. "It's really amazing that people don't see exactly what the guy is doing."
He added that Trump grifting "off of the Big Lie" could also complicate a potential campaign.
In the wake of his loss in the 2020 election, the former president, along with his allies, claimed without substantial evidence that widespread fraud helped propel President Joe Biden to victory.
But Cohen said if Trump runs and loses again, it would be more difficult for him to claim fraud.
"If he loses, which he will, in 2024, what happens to the Big Lie? The Big Lie disappears. He can't now be like the boy who cried wolf," Cohen said. "Now that goes out the door, and there goes his money. There goes the big grift."
Cohen predicted Trump would continue playing into the speculation that he may run "up until the very, very last second." But ultimately, Cohen believes, "it's not going to happen."
Newsweek reached out to Trump's office for comment Sunday morning but did not hear back in time for publication. This story will be updated with any response.
Cohen is not the only former Trump ally to dismiss claims that Trump plans to run for the Oval Office again. Former National Security Advisor John Bolton told iTV on November 10 that he does not believe Trump will run again out of fear of losing.
"He very much fears losing in 2024 because if he hates anything in the world, he hates being called a loser and the last thing he wants is to go into history having lost these last elections," Bolton said.
If Trump does run for president again, polls have indicated that he may receive strong support from Republicans. A Marquette University Law School survey released this month found that 63 percent of Republicans want him to run again. Other polling found that the former president would be competitive in a race against Biden with a chance to win.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. ... Read more
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