Michael Cohen Warns New 'Plot' Already Set in Motion

Former President Donald Trump's ex-lawyer Michael Cohen warned on Friday that a new "plot" by Republicans to steal the 2024 election is already set in motion.

Trump, who is the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, has maintained a loyal base of followers among voters and lawmakers. Leading up to the 2020 election, Trump sowed doubt in America's voting system, criticizing mail-in ballots as illegitimate. Then, when he lost, he claimed Joe Biden's election victory was stolen via widespread voter fraud. This is a claim that Trump still makes to this day, despite there being no evidence to back it up.

Cohen, a close ally turned critic of Trump, claimed in Friday's episode of his Mea Culpa podcast that some Republican lawmakers are aiding in a plot to "steal the election" by undermining it "before a single vote is cast."

Newsweek reached out to Trump's spokesperson via email and Cohen via text message for comment.

One of the actions that Cohen has called into question is the "election integrity" bill that House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican who is a Trump loyalist and played an instrumental role in trying to overturn the 2020 election, pushed on Wednesday. The bill would stop noncitizens from voting, however, it is extremely rare for noncitizens to vote in federal elections and it is already illegal under federal law.

"We all know, intuitively, that a lot of illegals are voting in federal elections. But it's not been something that is easily provable," Johnson claimed while speaking in front of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. "This legislation will allow us to do exactly that. It will prevent that from happening. And if someone tries to do it, it will now be unlawful within the states. We'll have a mechanism to prove whether they are or not."

In December 2020, Johnson, who was just the GOP caucus vice chair at the time, led an amicus brief signed by over 100 House Republicans in support of a Texas lawsuit that challenged the election results in four battleground states—Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.

Cohen called Johnson's "election integrity" bill "asinine," adding, "This is all part of the plot, the plot to undermine the election early before a single vote is cast."

Newsweek reached out to Johnson's office via email for comment.

The ex-attorney also pointed a finger at Senator Tim Scott, a South Carolina Republican and strong Trump ally who has been floated as a potential vice presidential pick, after he refused to commit to accepting the 2024 election results on NBC News' Meet the Press on Sunday.

Host Kristen Welker asked Scott, "Will you commit to accepting the election results of 2024, bottom line?"

"At the end of the day, the 47th president of the United States will be President Donald Trump," Scott said.

Welker then interjected, asking him if he will accept the results "no matter who wins." To which Scott responded: "That is my statement."

Newsweek reached out to Scott's office via email for comment.

Cohen warned on his podcast, "Their plot to steal the election if they don't win has already been set in motion. Open your eyes. It's already being set in motion."

Meanwhile, Trump has also refused to commit to accepting the 2024 election results.

While campaigning in Wisconsin last week, Trump said of the results of the 2024 election in an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "If everything's honest, I'll gladly accept the results. I don't change on that."

"If it's not, you have to fight for the right of the country," the former president added. "But if everything's honest, which we anticipate it will be—a lot of changes have been made over the last few years—but if everything's honest, I will absolutely accept the results."