Reigniting speculation he could "flip" on his former boss, President Donald Trump's longtime personal attorney Michael Cohen has declared his "first loyalty" is to his family and country.
Cohen repeatedly indicated in an interview with "Good Morning America" host George Stephanopoulos broadcast on Monday that he would prioritize protecting his family over protecting Trump.
"My wife, my daughter and my son have my first loyalty and always will," Cohen said. "I put family and country first."
When asked directly what he would do if prosecutors forced him to choose between protecting his family and protecting Trump, Cohen stated his family is his "first priority."
The interview is the first Cohen has conducted since the FBI raided his office and homes in April as part of a criminal investigation related to his business dealings.
Cohen has not been charged with any wrongdoing and told Stephanopoulos he would defer to his new Guy Petrillo if any charges are filed against him.
"I tried to make good faith judgments in the past. I also acknowledge that I am not perfect," Cohen said. "I would prefer not to be in this situation at all, obviously."
While Trump has been critical of the raid on Cohen's New York properties, the attorney himself said he disagreed with "those who demonize or vilify the FBI" and called the agents who conducted the search "respectful, courteous and professional."
Cohen also said he doesn't like the use of the term "witch hunt" to refer to the investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 president election, as Trump has done repeatedly.
"As an American, I repudiate Russia's or any other foreign government's attempt to interfere or meddle in our democratic process, and I would call on all Americans to do the same," Cohen said.
Last week, Trump noted in a tweet that Russia has continually denied meddling in the election, but Cohen argued simply accepting the denial of Russian President Vladimir Putin is "unsustainable."
(Photo: Gage Skidmore)
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