Michael Cohen, once President Donald Trump’s fiercely loyal personal attorney and self-proclaimed “fixer,” has long been a thorn in the side of his former boss, testifying against him in high-profile trials and authoring scathing books that paint Trump as a criminal mastermind. Yet, in a stunning twist on September 28, 2025, during an appearance on MSNBC’s “The Weekend: Primetime,” Cohen stunned the panel—including hosts Elise Jordan, Ayman Mohyeldin, and Molly Jong-Fast—by predicting that former FBI Director James Comey “will be found guilty” in connection to the federal investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Drawing from his own “investigation” aided by longtime journalist Brian Karem, Cohen claimed Comey was “very much involved in the Russia investigation in a very negative way,” suggesting the Department of Justice under Attorney General Pam Bondi possesses a trove of incriminating emails, texts, and communications that could seal the former director’s fate. This comes amid Comey’s recent two-count indictment on September 25 for obstruction of justice and false statements to Congress, charges stemming from his 2020 testimony about the origins of the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane probe—a case Trump has long branded a “witch hunt.” Cohen’s remarks, delivered with the insider bravado of a man who once orchestrated hush-money schemes for Trump, left the liberal-leaning panel visibly shocked, with one host gasping, “Wait, what?!” as the conversation veered into unexpected territory.

This provocative prediction can be seen as the latest chapter in Cohen’s extraordinary subterfuge, a chameleon-like dance where he publicly feuds with Trump while subtly aligning with narratives that bolster the president’s retribution agenda. Having served prison time for crimes tied to Trump’s 2016 campaign, including lying to Congress about Russian contacts, Cohen has positioned himself as a whistleblower, yet here he echoes Trump’s longstanding calls for Comey’s prosecution—accusations of weaponizing the FBI against the Trump campaign that date back to 2017. By framing Comey’s alleged misconduct as a “negative” force in the Russia probe, Cohen not only validates the Trump administration’s counterinvestigation but also draws parallels to his own rapid 2018 guilty plea, warning that the DOJ’s efficiency could ensnare even the mighty like Comey in a mere “48 hours.” Critics on the MSNBC panel pressed him on whether the DOJ was being “weaponized” under Trump, to which Cohen demurred, cryptically noting Comey’s history of “punching down” from the FBI’s perch—now flipped, with the bureau “punching up.” This selective alignment fuels speculation: is Cohen’s commentary a genuine pivot, born of disillusionment with the deep state, or a calculated ploy to regain favor in Trump’s orbit, much like his past flip-flops between loyalty and betrayal?

As Comey’s arraignment looms in October before U.S. District Judge Michael Nachmanoff—a Biden appointee who may enter a not-guilty plea—the ripple effects of Cohen’s words extend to the broader political theater, where Trump’s “retribution tour” targets perceived architects of the Russia hoax, including John Brennan and James Clapper. Cohen’s endorsement of a guilty verdict amplifies the administration’s narrative of vindication, potentially eroding public trust in institutions already battered by years of partisan warfare. Yet, for a man branded a “fraud and liar” by Trump himself, Cohen’s intervention as a secret double agent—publicly anti-Trump but privately advancing his legal vendettas—highlights the porous lines between enmity and utility in Washington. If Comey falls, it won’t just be a win for Trump; it could resurrect Cohen’s relevance, turning his subterfuge from spectacle to strategy in an era where former insiders wield words as weapons.