Mea Culpa

Today on Mea Culpa, we’re revisiting a conversation from August with Army veteran, former congressional candidate, and democracy advocate Marcus Flowers. Together, we examined Donald Trump’s accelerating authoritarian instincts, from secret meetings with Vladimir Putin and sidelining U.S. allies to weaponizing the Department of Justice against critics. Grounded in Flowers’ military and national security experience, this conversation remains strikingly relevant as we break down how culture wars, fear, and political spectacle are used to consolidate power, erode democratic norms, and normalize retaliation against dissent. Subscribe to Michael's Substack: https://therealmichaelcohen.substack.com/ Subscribe to Michael's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMichaelCohenShow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on Mea Culpa, I’m revisiting a conversation with Ally Sammarco, political strategist, consultant, and content creator, to look back at Trump’s speech before Congress one year ago, and why it offers critical insight into his State of the Union address this week. Together, Ally and I broke down the dangerous patterns in Trump’s rhetoric, governing style, and reliance on fear and spectacle, and it reveals how little has actually changed. This look back puts the current moment in context, showing what Trump signals to his base, how he frames power, and why revisiting these warnings matters now more than ever. Subscribe to Michael's Substack: https://therealmichaelcohen.substack.com/ Subscribe to Michael's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMichaelCohenShow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on Mea Culpa, I’m revisiting a November conversation with journalist and author Vicky Ward, whose reporting on Jeffrey Epstein long predated the current document releases. When we first spoke, the Epstein transparency bill had just passed; now, with portions of the files finally public, this conversation carries new weight. Ward has explained the threats Epstein made against her, her husband, and her unborn children, and explains the intimidation used to silence scrutiny. As more disturbing details emerge from the files, revisiting voices that warned us early, and exposed the government’s repeated failures of accountability, feels not just relevant, but necessary. Subscribe to Michael's Substack: https://therealmichaelcohen.substack.com/ Subscribe to Michael's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMichaelCohenShow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on Mea Culpa, I’m revisiting a September conversation with Charlie Sykes, political commentator, author of “How the Right Lost Its Mind,” and MSNBC contributor. While the specific Trump controversies have changed, the nature of his leadership and the damage he causes have not. Then, the First Amendment alarms centered around Jimmy Kimmel; now, it’s Don Lemon and Georgia Fort. We also discussed Trump’s UN speech, a speech Trump once again mentioned at yesterday’s “Board of Peace” event. And the most consistent through line remains the same: the continued lack of transparency around the Epstein files. The names and moments may shift, but the patterns we identify and discuss remain just as relevant today. Subscribe to Michael's Substack: https://therealmichaelcohen.substack.com/ Subscribe to Michael's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMichaelCohenShow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on Mea Culpa, I sit down with Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, senior associate dean at Yale School of Management, founder of the Chief Executive Leadership Institute, and author of the forthcoming book Trump’s Ten Commandments, to examine Donald Trump’s leadership style through the lens of corporate power and institutional behavior. An early critic dating back to The Apprentice, Sonnenfeld draws on decades of research on CEOs and crisis leadership, paired with my firsthand experience with Trump, to break down how he governs through intimidation, retaliation, and has an inability to accept loss. We explore why appeasement by universities, corporations, and civic institutions only accelerates democratic erosion, the risks of normalizing coercion, and whether collective resistance remains one of the most effective counterweights to abuse of power. Subscribe to Michael's Substack: https://therealmichaelcohen.substack.com/ Subscribe to Michael's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMichaelCohenShow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on Mea Culpa, I’m joined by Nick Akerman, former Assistant Special Watergate Prosecutor and Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, to break down Attorney General Pam Bondi’s recent hearing and what it reveals about the state of our government. We discuss accountability, prosecutorial power, and the growing strain the Trump administration has placed on the rule of law. Drawing on lessons from Watergate, Akerman explains how political interference, delayed justice, and selective enforcement have eroded public trust, and why DOJ independence matters now more than ever. We also examine the dangers of normalizing corruption, the reality of a two-tiered justice system, and what it will take to restore faith in American institutions before lasting damage is done. Subscribe to Michael's Substack: https://therealmichaelcohen.substack.com/ Subscribe to Michael's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMichaelCohenShow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on Mea Culpa, I am looking back at a past conversation with former ambassador, legal analyst, and founder and executive chair of the Democracy Defenders Fund, Norm Eisen. Back in August, we examined the Trump administration’s ongoing failure to deliver transparency and accountability, especially in the case of Jeffrey Epstein. While the DOJ has released millions of Epstein-related documents in recent months, it still feels as though the public has been denied real answers and meaningful accountability. We also discuss DOJ independence, Trump’s two-tiered justice system, congressional oversight failures, and the erosion of public trust. Subscribe to Michael's Substack: https://therealmichaelcohen.substack.com/ Subscribe to Michael's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMichaelCohenShow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on Mea Culpa, I revisit an earlier conversation with new urgency. Back in September, I sat down with Dr. Steven Hassan, mental health expert, author, and host of the Cults, Culture & Coercion podcast, to examine how MAGA functions less like a political movement and more like a system of psychological control. Drawing on his own experience surviving the Moonies cult and decades of research into coercive influence, Hassan breaks down why Trump’s followers remain fiercely loyal despite constant chaos, corruption, and contradiction. While the headlines have shifted since this conversation first aired, the patterns have not. Putin remains central, the Epstein files remain unreleased, and collective amnesia has set in around events that happened only months ago. This episode asks whether the MAGA movement is finally fracturing as Trump turns on the very values his base once claimed as sacred. Subscribe to Michael's Substack: https://therealmichaelcohen.substack.com/ Subscribe to Michael's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMichaelCohenShow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on Mea Culpa, I sit down with Matthew VanDyke, founder of Sons of Liberty International, security analyst, foreign fighter, and filmmaker, for a sobering conversation about escalating ICE operations in Minneapolis and what they reveal about the future of federal power in America. Drawing on his experience covering conflict zones around the world, VanDyke explains why the tactics being deployed resemble counterinsurgency more than traditional law enforcement. We examine how political theater, poor training, and the normalization of force are reshaping public perception, eroding civil liberties, and conditioning Americans to accept military-style policing at home. Subscribe to Michael's Substack: https://therealmichaelcohen.substack.com/ Subscribe to Michael's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMichaelCohenShow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on Mea Culpa, I’m joined by political strategist Rina Shah to break down the growing crisis over the administration’s narrative about ICE and federal immigration enforcement in Minneapolis after the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good. Shah and I examine how fear-based tactics, political loyalty, and poor crisis management have eroded public trust and fueled unrest in the Twin Cities. As senior officials have used terms like “domestic terrorism” to describe the incidents, we confront what happens when optics replace truth and government narratives clash with video evidence. Subscribe to Michael's Substack: https://therealmichaelcohen.substack.com/ Subscribe to Michael's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMichaelCohenShow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on Mea Culpa, I welcome back Michael Fanone, former Metropolitan D.C. police officer, January 6 hero, author, and political activist, for a raw and unfiltered conversation about truth, trauma, and the consequences of political gaslighting. Fresh off his appearance at Special Counsel Jack Smith’s testimony last week, Fanone reflects on surviving January 6, the lasting PTSD faced by officers whose lived experiences were denied, and how confirmation bias and media distortion continue to endanger lives. Together, we examine the weaponization of misinformation, threats against truth-tellers, and the growing normalization of state violence. This episode confronts what happens when accountability disappears, and why speaking the truth remains an act of resistance. Subscribe to Michael's Substack: https://therealmichaelcohen.substack.com/ Subscribe to Michael's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMichaelCohenShow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on Mea Culpa, Michael Cohen speaks candidly about truth, accountability, and what it means to stand by your lived experience in an era shaped by outrage and misinformation. Cohen addresses ongoing attacks on his credibility, clarifies the facts surrounding his knowledge of Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, and draws a firm line between documented truth and deliberate falsehoods. He reflects on his journey through public reckoning, incarceration, and redemption, and explains why his advocacy for the millions of Americans living with the lifelong stigma of a felony conviction is personal. This is not about absolution or applause; it’s about facts, responsibility, and refusing to let lies replace the record. Subscribe to Michael's Substack: https://therealmichaelcohen.substack.com/ Subscribe to Michael's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMichaelCohenShow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on Mea Culpa, I sit down with CNN legal analyst, former federal prosecutor, former senior official at the DOJ and DHS, and author Elliot Williams to unpack his new book Five Bullets and its relevance to the current state of public affairs under Trump. Williams explains how a single subway shooting in 1980s New York helped ignite modern vigilante culture, hardened racial fault lines, and reshaped media, politics, and public fear around crime. We draw parallels between Goetz and contemporary figures like Luigi Mangione, Kyle Rittenhouse, and Daniel Penny and explore how media spectacle and algorithms fuel outrage. We also discuss the latest breaking news from Minneapolis ICE protests to threats of a Greenland invasion. Thanks to our sponsors: Qualia: Take control of your cellular health today. Go to https://qualialife.com/COHEN and save 15% to experience the science of feeling younger. iRestore: Reverse hair loss with @iRestorelaser and get exclusive savings on the iRestore Elite, use code COHEN at https://www.irestore.com/COHEN! #irestorepod Subscribe to Michael's Substack: https://therealmichaelcohen.substack.com/ Subscribe to Michael's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMichaelCohenShow Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PoliticalBeatdown Add the Mea Culpa podcast feed: https://megaphone.link/MTH2278738181 Add the Political Beatdown podcast feed: https://megaphone.link/MTH2574573356 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on Mea Culpa, I welcome back former U.S. Capitol Police Officer and January 6 hero Harry Dunn for a sobering breakdown of the ICE shooting that killed U.S. citizen Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis. We dissect the conflicting narratives between federal officials’ claims and eyewitness and video evidence, and Harry explains why training, use-of-force standards, and accountability matter now more than ever. We also examine the FBI taking over the investigation from state authorities, the dangerous escalation of armed agents in civilian protests, the broader pattern of unchecked federal power, and rapid ICE recruitment. We explore what happens when the rule of law is replaced by fear, intimidation, and political loyalty, especially as government rhetoric and selective outrage drive tensions to an all-time high. Thanks to our sponsors: Ultra Pouches: Don’t sleep on @ultrapouches. New customers get 15% Off with code COHEN at https://takeultra.com #UltraPouches #ad IndaCloud: If you’re 21 or older, get 25% OFF your first order + free shipping on orders $89+ @IndaCloud with code COHEN at https://inda.shop/COHEN! #indacloudpod Subscribe to Michael's Substack: https://therealmichaelcohen.substack.com/ Subscribe to Michael's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMichaelCohenShow Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PoliticalBeatdown Add the Mea Culpa podcast feed: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/mea-culpa-with-michael-cohen Add the Political Beatdown podcast feed: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/political-beatdown Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on Mea Culpa, I welcome back Ally Sammarco, political strategist, consultant, and content creator, for a breakdown of Trump’s unprecedented seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and why it crosses a clear international red line. We examine how the administration is attempting to justify what legal experts warn could be considered an act of war, the dangers of normalizing hostage-style geopolitics, and the complete absence of congressional authorization. We explain how this move destabilizes global norms, invites potential retaliation by authoritarian regimes, and exposes an administration willing to abandon international law for spectacle and profit. Thanks to our sponsor: Ultra Pouches: Don’t sleep on @ultrapouches. New customers get 15% Off with code COHEN at https://takeultra.com #UltraPouches #ad Subscribe to Michael's Substack: https://therealmichaelcohen.substack.com/ Subscribe to Michael's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMichaelCohenShow Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PoliticalBeatdown Add the Mea Culpa podcast feed: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/mea-culpa-with-michael-cohen Add the Political Beatdown podcast feed: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/political-beatdown Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on Mea Culpa, I welcome back Maria Cardona, Democratic strategist, CNN commentator, Principal at the Dewey Square Group, and founder of Latinovations, for an honest conversation about the ICE shooting that killed U.S. citizen Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis on Wednesday. We break down the video evidence contradicting federal claims, the Trump administration’s rapid misinformation campaign, and what the killing reveals about unchecked federal power, reckless ICE recruitment, and the normalization of state violence. We also examine the broader implications for civil rights, public trust in law enforcement, and the weaponization of “domestic terrorism” labels. Most importantly, we explore why this moment marks a dangerous turning point for American democracy and accountability itself. Thanks to our sponsors: Superpower: Head to https://Superpower.com and use code COHEN at checkout for $20 off your membership. Live up to your 100-Year potential. #superpowerpod Qualia: Take control of your cellular health today. Go to https://qualialife.com/COHEN and save 15% to experience the science of feeling younger. Subscribe to Michael's Substack: https://therealmichaelcohen.substack.com/ Subscribe to Michael's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMichaelCohenShow Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PoliticalBeatdown Add the Mea Culpa podcast feed: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/mea-culpa-with-michael-cohen Add the Political Beatdown podcast feed: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/political-beatdown Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on Mea Culpa, I’m joined by constitutional scholar and former U.S. Attorney Harry Litman for a critical conversation about unchecked presidential power, secrecy, and the erosion of democratic guardrails. We break down Trump’s escalating foreign policy threats—from Iran to Venezuela—his normalization of military action without congressional oversight, and how retaliation-based governance is replacing the rule of law, from freezing federal funds in Minnesota to vetoing a bipartisan clean water bill in Colorado. Harry, a former Deputy Assistant Attorney General who has argued before the Supreme Court, explains why these moments matter, how Congress’s silence enables executive overreach, and what happens when loyalty replaces legality. In a time when chaos is mistaken for strength and secrecy becomes policy, this episode confronts how close we are drifting toward government by vendetta—and why the law still matters. Qualia: Go to https://QualiaLife.com/COHEN for up to 50% OFF! Superpower: Head to https://Superpower.com and use code: COHEN for $20 oFF your membership Subscribe to Michael's Substack:⁠ https://therealmichaelcohen.substack.com/⁠ Subscribe to Michael's YouTube Channel:⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@TheMichaelCohenShow⁠ Join us on Patreon:⁠ https://www.patreon.com/PoliticalBeatdown⁠ Add the Mea Culpa podcast feed:⁠ https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/mea-culpa-with-michael-cohen⁠ Add the Political Beatdown podcast feed:⁠ https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/political-beatdown Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on Mea Culpa, I’m revisiting the very first episode of the podcast—recorded in September 2020, when I was fresh out of prison and still confined to my home—with my first-ever guest, Rosie O’Donnell. What began as a conversation between two people deeply harmed by Donald Trump became something more urgent: a documentation of character, cruelty, and power. We talk about Trump not as a political movement, but as a man—his brittle ego, his need for submission, and his use of humiliation and fear as tools of control. Drawing from my years as his fixer and Rosie’s experience as his first public feud, we examine how loyalty is demanded, dissent is punished, and moral lines slowly disappear inside Trump’s orbit. From cult-like manipulation and normalized abuse to the personal cost paid by families and institutions alike, this episode serves as both confession and warning—one that proved tragically predictive of the damage that would follow when truth, decency, and accountability are sacrificed in service of one man’s ego. Subscribe to Michael's Substack: https://therealmichaelcohen.substack.com/ Subscribe to Michael's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMichaelCohenShow Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PoliticalBeatdown Add the Mea Culpa podcast feed: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/mea-culpa-with-michael-cohen Add the Political Beatdown podcast feed: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/political-beatdown Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this throwback episode of Mea Culpa, I sit down with George Conway—lawyer, activist, and one of Donald Trump’s fiercest critics—to revisit our conversation from a year ago. As little changes in Trump’s tactics year after year, we break down his narcissism, impulsive strategies, and the enduring impact on U.S. politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on Mea Culpa, I’m joined by social media star Aaron Parnas for a wide-ranging conversation about power, spectacle, and global instability. With over 4.6 million followers on TikTok, millions more across platforms, and his Substack The Parnas Perspective ranking as the top news newsletter with more than 615,000 subscribers, Aaron brings massive digital reach and sharp insight into today’s political moment. We break down the release of the Epstein files and what partial disclosure means for real accountability, react to Trump’s latest ship announcement and the politics of distraction, and examine the war in Venezuela and the broader geopolitical stakes. A former securities litigation attorney in Washington, D.C. and a Forbes 30 Under 30 (Media) honoree, Aaron helps connect the dots between media narratives, political power, and international consequences in an episode that shows how easily chaos fills the void when transparency disappears. Leesa: Go to https://Leesa.com for 20% off mattresses PLUS get an extra $50 off with promo code COHEN, exclusive for my listeners. Subscribe to Michael's Substack: ⁠https://therealmichaelcohen.substack.com/⁠ Subscribe to Michael's YouTube Channel: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@TheMichaelCohenShow⁠ Join us on Patreon: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/PoliticalBeatdown⁠ Add the Mea Culpa podcast feed: ⁠https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/mea-culpa-with-michael-cohen⁠ Add the Political Beatdown podcast feed: ⁠https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/political-beatdown Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices