President Donald Trump and his former fixer Michael Cohen had their first public conversation in about eight years on Thursday, and it was surprisingly cordial. Trump used the moment to boast that if an election were held today, he'd win "by 25 points," and that the U.S. economy "has never been stronger."

Trump Claims Polls Understate His Support

"I think that we're doing really well in the polls, the real polls," Trump told Cohen during a WABC interview. "If I were running today, I think I'd win by 25 points. I think we'd win by a lot. The economy has never been stronger. We're doing numbers that nobody's ever seen before."

Fresh polling tells a different story. A Reuters/Ipsos survey released Monday put Trump's approval at 33%, the lowest of his presidency, with 64% disapproving. That extends an earlier slide in his approval ratings, as the Iran war and cost-of-living concerns weigh on voters.

Official data show a mixed economic picture. The Bureau of Economic Analysis reported real GDP grew at a 1.5% annualized rate in the second quarter, down from 2.1% in the first. Markets had already digested the weaker growth alongside persistent inflation. July consumer prices rose 3.4% from a year earlier, while employers cut 23,000 payroll jobs and unemployment held at 4.1%.

Former Allies Revisit Their Bitter Break

The exchange marked a dramatic reversal. Cohen spent years as Trump's personal lawyer before becoming a central witness in the New York hush-money case that led to Trump's conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records. Trump has maintained his innocence.

"You and I have obviously traveled a pretty rocky road together," Cohen told Trump.

Trump responded, "They weaponized you like nobody's ever been weaponized," and added, "I respect the fact that you recanted everything you said." It's unclear whether Cohen has formally recanted his testimony.

A federal judge sentenced Cohen in 2018 to three years after he pleaded guilty to campaign-finance violations, tax evasion, and other crimes. He later became one of Trump's fiercest critics and said after the 2024 verdict that he felt "relieved."

Cohen Seeks Pardon As Relationship Thaws

The thaw accelerated this summer. Cohen said in July that the two had "rekindled our relationship because of a shared experience of betrayal." Reuters reported Thursday that Cohen has submitted a pardon application to the White House.