← The Jim Acosta Show
The Jim Acosta Show
Army veteran and Capitol Police Sgt. Aquilino Gonell on Trump disrespecting the fallen at Arlington National Cemetery and Michael Cohen returns for Michael Monday
01:00:31
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- [00:00]
Jim Acosta
Welcome, everybody, to the Jim Acosta show. It is Memorial Day, and instead of just remembering the fallen, our heroes, Donald Trump making much of it all about himself, even at Arlington National Cemetery. Shocker, I know. But joining me on the show is former Capitol Police officer, hero of January 6th, and Army Sergeant Aquilino Gunnell. And it's great to see you, Sergeant Gannell. It's been too long. Akalino. You and I used to talk on my old show from time to time. Yeah, it's great to see you again. How are you doing?
- [00:30]
Aquilino Gunnell
I'm doing well. Thanks for having me back, and happy Memorial Day. I also want to convey my. My gratitude to those who have served, and we need to honor the service and sacrifice of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice to defend our freedom.
- [00:50]
Jim Acosta
Yeah, no, it's absolutely essential. And that's what this day should be all about. I have grandparents on my mom's side who are buried at Arlington National Cemetery, and that place means a lot to me. To me, it's not a place to do politics. Unfortunately, Trump was there earlier today. He was bragging that the World cup and the Olympics will be happening in the US While he is president. He said, quote, we have the World cup and we have the Olympics. Can you imagine? I missed that four years talking about when Biden was president. And now I have everything he says. Amazing the way things work out. And then he goes on to say, God did that. He actually said that at Arlington National Cemetery, talking about all these things that are going to be happening while he's president. God did that. Aqualina, what do you think when. When you hear that kind of stuff? I know it must drive you nuts, but I have to get your thoughts.
- [01:41]
Aquilino Gunnell
I mean, it's not shocking anymore about his disdain for those who have served and, you know, with the blanket security that we have provided him and those who continue to serve, provide to him and others around the country. Instead of honoring that type of sacrifices, he belittled everybody who go against his will. And, you know, it's a grotesque way to dishonor and put shame on the sacrifices of those who pay the ultimate price. Again, you are on a sacred ground where it should be about remembering the memory of those who die and honoring their sacrifices and not for a political stunt or speech.
- [02:37]
Jim Acosta
Yeah, I mean, I've covered him for a long time. There's something wrong with him. He can't help himself. I mean, over the weekend at West Point, again, that's a place I've been to. I've covered it. When presidents give these Commencement addresses at West Point. Usually it's a place where the president, sometimes it's the Vice President. They put politics aside, they make it about the cadets, they make it about the families who are there and all the sacrifices that they've made. And at one point, you know, at West Point, Trump is talking about a real estate buddy of his, this guy Bill Levitt, who apparently had a trophy wife, according to Donald Trump. I don't know why that came up during the speech, but Trump at one point said, could you say trophy wife? I guess we can say a trophy wife. It didn't work out too well, Trump says about this guy. He goes on and on, a lot of trophy wives doesn't work out, but it made him happy for a little while at least. He found a new wife, he sold his little boat, and he got a big yacht. I mean, I've been talking about this on my show from time to time. Aquino to me there, you know, for all the talk about the previous president and whether or not he was playing with a full deck, it's clear to me on this Memorial Day that Donald Trump is a couple of sandwiches short of a picnic.
- [03:49]
Aquilino Gunnell
Well, that's a great way to motivate those new cadets and to begin their career as leaders. I'm sorry, I'm just being sarcastic, but yeah, no, ridiculous. Again, there's no level of disregard for tradition to see the, that all the, the sacrifices that all the people are doing, and instead of honoring that, instead of not being the forever victim, he, he continued to downgrade those who, who have served. You know, I'm sure, I hope that today he didn't say that we are all suckers and losers for wanting to provide our service to the nation, you know, just to honor us, just because what we did something that he himself didn't have the backbone to do it because he had back bone spurs. You know, so he dodged the draft and things like that. You know, I'm not a doctor, but, you know, if that's what he says, okay, great. But Tom Dungray, degrade those of us who have spent a lifetime or whatever amount of time in the service to provide the security to the nation like we had or like we do, especially in day to day.
- [05:16]
Jim Acosta
Well, and, and Trump and his people like to say, oh, he never said that about suckers and losers. He never, he would never say such a thing. But yet he's at Arlington National Cemetery today talking about the World cup and the Olympics, and he's at West Point talking about trophy wives and yachts. So that says to me that there's plenty of reason to believe that he said suckers and losers and that he would say something inappropriate about people who pay the ultimate sacrifice. I mean, it just seems to me that that kind of backs it up.
- [05:44]
Aquilino Gunnell
Unsurprising, but, you know, shocking.
- [05:47]
Jim Acosta
Yeah.
- [05:48]
Aquilino Gunnell
And this is what we have come to expect from a leader of the nation right now. Like, you can figure out whether he's been joking about or somebody has said something just because sometimes it's hard to tell whether he's. When do we take him seriously? You know, I mean, when he.
- [06:06]
Jim Acosta
That's a good question, you know.
- [06:08]
Aquilino Gunnell
Well, I remember back in the day, Sarah Huckabee Sander used to say, well, the tweet speak for himself. For himself. I'm like, so. And then a couple of minutes later, she will say, well, he was just joking. So when do we decipher. How do we decipher. When he's being serious about things like this, especially when he's talking about service members to other people and those people are quoting him. People were present.
- [06:40]
Jim Acosta
Exactly. And Aquilino, I have to say, you're an army veteran. You're a January 6th hero, Capitol Police officer. And if I'm not, I'm not mistaken, you're from the Dominican Republic, is that right?
- [06:54]
Aquilino Gunnell
That is correct. I came here when I was so years old and I did the best I could to provide to my family, to my become a better person. Joined the military, get an education, went overseas to fight for this country in the Iraq war, came back and became a police officer where I spent 17 years of my life protecting elect officials from both parties, including president from both sides.
- [07:28]
Jim Acosta
Yeah, yeah. Well, I was going to say you're an immigrant, you're an army veteran, and you're a January 6th police veteran. You're Donald Trump's worst enemy, I guess you could say. Aquilina. What? I don't know about that, but I.
- [07:40]
Aquilino Gunnell
Mean, I don't know about that. I don't certainly don't think that I am his enemy. I just detest what he had done. And especially about January 6th when it comes to owner own the, the action that he or inaction that he took and hold those people who are responsible because there's no type of support. Don't tell me that you support the police. If you sign with the rioters. Don't tell me you support the police. If you call these people who attack the police hostages, political prisoners, warriors or patriots, then if you give those, any of those narratives or names to those Individuals who attack us, then who are we? The police officers? To him, we are an inconvenience. We are the bad guys. And not only did he sided with those people, but he parted them. And to make matter worse, under his direction, the Department of Justice had come to a settlement with the family of one of the people who were inside it and wanted to get to the House chamber where members of elect officials from both parties were still evacuating because the mob were targeting them room by room to kill them. And if it wasn't because us, the police officers, many of those alleged officials would have died that day.
- [09:17]
Jim Acosta
That's exactly right. And I did want to ask you about that, Aqualino, because it's been a while since you and I have spoken. He pardons the January 6th criminals. Y some of those criminals have already reoffended. I mean, that's been in the news from time to time. Some of the people he pardoned or commuted their sentence have already reoffended. And then to add insult to injury, as you were just saying a few moments ago, the Trump administration is going to pay $5 million to the family of Ashley Babbitt, the Trump supporter who was shot and killed while in the mob that was breaching the House Speaker's Lobby on January 6th. This is according to CBS News. The outgoing U.S. capitol Police chief, Tom Manger confirmed it to CBS that he was informed that the Justice Department had agreed to make this payment to Babbitt's family And Aquilino, I just have to ask you about this because we have to remind people what was happening on that day. She was not stopping when they were telling people to stop, when they were telling the mob to stop. And she was climbing through that window, and that was when she was stopped.
- [10:22]
Aquilino Gunnell
Yeah. I mean, what people need to realize is that in order for her to be where she got, she will have to pass through at least seven to nine different type of security layers and barriers, including doors and windows. Officers telling the crowd and the people to get back, to leave, to stop whatever they were doing. And yet every circumstance where she was able to make a informed decision, a willful, informed decision, she made the wrong one each and every time. Now there are other people who are now even calling for the president to have the US Government repay for the repay, reimburse some of the attackers money that they pay for the damage that they themselves film themselves committing and hitting and assaulting the police officer or breaching and storming the Capitol and creating that damage. And they are considering those things. What do the officers from Capitol Police and the other first responders who defended every elected official that they have to do to be even be thought out as the good guy. Because if you are awarding retitution and reparation for the damage that these people were forced to pay for the damage that they themselves were gullible enough to record themselves hitting and assaulting the police officer, then how can you tell me that you support the police in the law and order? And that's. Right.
- [12:15]
Jim Acosta
Well, and the other thing that you mentioned, Aqualina, just, just to pause for a second, you hit, you. You hit the nail on the head when you said gullible because, I mean, people need to understand this and this needs to be emphasized. Ashley Babbitt would be alive today if Donald Trump had simply taken it like a man and accepted that he lost the 2020 election. I want to repeat that. Ashley Babbitt would be alive today. Her family would have her alive today if Donald Trump had just been a man. Been a man and accepted that he lost the 2020 election. That's the whole ball game right there. Would have never happened.
- [12:51]
Aquilino Gunnell
Or at least, you know, she would have not died on January 6th.
- [12:57]
Jim Acosta
Exactly. Well, we don't know what, we don't.
- [12:58]
Aquilino Gunnell
Know what the outcome would that would be.
- [13:01]
Jim Acosta
She would not have died that day.
- [13:02]
Aquilino Gunnell
But nobody else invoked them, the people, the supporters to come to the Capitol, Capitol Police. We didn't tell the people of America, hey, especially his supporters, hey, come to the Capitol January 6th. We got something for you. Or the major D.C. we didn't. I'm sure she didn't want those, that type of crowd here, especially when we were dealing with COVID during that time. You know, so they themselves made that choice. Ultimately, I think the president had a lot of influence and he still does. And he could have said the minute that the people broke into Peace Circle, the first barrier that they broke down, he could have said, you know what? Hey, this is not what I had in mind. Please go home, stop. But he didn't. He waited three, four hours later. And by the time he actually said something, that he was forced to say something.
- [14:00]
Jim Acosta
Yeah.
- [14:01]
Aquilino Gunnell
People were already have been an injured many police officers from the cap, from Capitol Police.
- [14:07]
Jim Acosta
Yeah.
- [14:08]
Aquilino Gunnell
And Metropolitan Police. And when he actually like putting one and two together, when he finally did say something, then the people got really more upset that now after they started doing whatever they were doing.
- [14:23]
Jim Acosta
Right.
- [14:24]
Aquilino Gunnell
He's selling them to stop. And that's where I was in tunnel. That's where I got. I almost got trampled. I almost got Dragged into the mob like they did to Michael Fanon. I almost got crushed into the door frame with a heat hug movement like they did to officer Danny Hodges. So my day, my time there in the tunnel was horrific compared to somebody else on the other side of the building.
- [14:56]
Jim Acosta
We were fighting a battle. You were fighting a battle.
- [14:58]
Aquilino Gunnell
It was a hand to hand medieval battle that we were having. For me, removing myself from that entrance where only 30 to 40 officers were defending that entrance, that's the only entrance, the only entrance that held up in the Capitol. And had the mob gone access to that hallways, to those hallways in the tunnel, then a lot of those electrofacials, your electrofacials and everybody else electrofacials would have been in peril, potentially losing their lives. Because another thing that people need to realize is that the Vice President was inside the Capitol, the Senate protent, the speaker of the House.
- [15:49]
Jim Acosta
These are the line of secession.
- [15:50]
Aquilino Gunnell
Those, those who session to the presidency was. And they all were being targeted. And if that's not a national security, then what is when these people were literally calling for harm to those individuals?
- [16:07]
Jim Acosta
Well, and that's why I was happy to have you on the show today, Aquilino, because in my view, you were fighting in a battle to protect America and protect democracy on a battlefield. It may not have been overseas, it was on domestic soil, but it is just, I mean it is just as critical a battle as any other battle that our country has fought in its history. And that to me deserves recognition. And to me it's an outrage that more than three years after the Congress approved the installation of a plaque to remember the January 6th police officers, that plaque is sitting in a basement utility room in the Capitol. It is surrounded by, apparently it's surrounded by. This is, according to the Washington Post, it is sitting in a capital basement utility room surrounded by tools and maintenance equipment.
- [16:58]
Aquilino Gunnell
Yeah, it's a grotesque way to show an infuriating as well, to show the type of support that Republican elected officials, especially those who we protected, especially those who were running for their lives on January 6th in fear from that peaceful loving mob on a day of love, as some people want to say. And these are individuals that would not have been alive today if it wasn't because of the actions that we did. Not by the lack of trying by the mob, but because what we did, we protected each and every one. Whether that was Nancy Pelosi or Kevin McCarty, whether that was AOC or Mag Taylor Green, which are totally different spectrum of the political. We were doing our Job.
- [17:50]
Jim Acosta
You were defending all of them, even the ones who, even the ones who wanted to overturn the election.
- [17:55]
Aquilino Gunnell
Exactly. And those are the same video that going in front of the cabin in front of the TV and camera, like two weeks ago for Police Week, they were saying the same thing. We support the police. And I have to tell you this, I know we are deviating a little bit from your question. I'll get back to it.
- [18:14]
Jim Acosta
No, it's okay.
- [18:15]
Aquilino Gunnell
Two weeks ago, the White House put out an announcement saying that we will support. We will never stop. Something along these lines. We will never stop supporting our law enforcement officers. Not now, not never. And then day after, the settlement comes in for the $5 million for one of the attackers who injure, who, who broke into the Capitol. And you know, that's the type of commitment. Not now. And I never, will never betray them, you know, and not, not the 1500, more than 1500 people that were pardoned by him. How is that honoring me? How is not betraying me or us, the police officers?
- [19:07]
Jim Acosta
So it's a serious dishonoring.
- [19:09]
Aquilino Gunnell
It's dishonoring Syria actions in, in moves that they had taken to try to convince people that they are supported, but they are not because they do the opposite. And to come back to, to your question about the plaque, you know, is a disservice to the sacrifice in service of those who defended the Capitol and those who die as a result of that horrific day. Kevin Speaker Mike Johnson should be ashamed of himself. He always deviate, deferred the question to the architect of the Capitol when he's the one who had to authorize the plaque. The other thing is that the plaque that it is in the basement of the Capitol is not the one that is mandated by the law, because the one mandated by the law requires in mandates the names of the officers to be on the plaque, not the name of the agencies who defended the Capitol. There's one similar to that, I believe inside the Capitol Visitor center, and that's the replica of the one that's in the basement. Now speaking, Mike Johnson is trying to say, hey, this is, this is the same plaque that is mandated in the law. And it's not. It should have the names of the officers as mandated by the law.
- [20:38]
Jim Acosta
And why does he, why does he play games with this, do you think?
- [20:42]
Aquilino Gunnell
For political reason? I mean, I know of all Trump.
- [20:45]
Jim Acosta
I think probably because of Trump, of.
- [20:47]
Aquilino Gunnell
Course, of all people who don't believe, you know, then nothing bad happened on January six are most of them Republican. And if we did Something bad happen is it was police brutality against his supporter because they were so friendly to us. You know, they were giving a hugs and kisses as compared to the beatdown.
- [21:08]
Jim Acosta
They were just tourists. They were just.
- [21:09]
Aquilino Gunnell
Yeah. You know, I got so much love that required me to have two surgery. Yeah.
- [21:15]
Jim Acosta
How's your hand doing? I remember you. You showed me that one time. You had a tennis ball and you had to go through.
- [21:21]
Aquilino Gunnell
That was in the aftermath after my surgery, which I was still going through the physical therapy, but, you know, for the most part, my. My physical injury had healed.
- [21:34]
Jim Acosta
That's good.
- [21:34]
Aquilino Gunnell
I still have some limitations, especially on the left shoulder. Shoulder for stamina and things like that. I lost my career because of that. I was robbed of my career because I. I didn't leave the Capitol Police of my own accord.
- [21:48]
Jim Acosta
Because you. You wanted to keep going. You wanted to years.
- [21:52]
Aquilino Gunnell
Yep. And I. I did in my best to. Including. Including downplay my injuries to. To the documents that I was good because I wanted to come back to work and continue my career and that unfortunately, that was not the case.
- [22:09]
Jim Acosta
And. Akalino, do you sometimes say to yourself, you know what? I. I don't want to speak out anymore. I'm done with this. I'm tired of this. What is your view right now? What do you want to say to people out there who worry about folks like yourself, people like Mike and Harry and the others? Do you get tired sometimes or are you determined to keep fighting?
- [22:38]
Aquilino Gunnell
I mean, it's exhausting emotionally and physically, but I know that there are not a lot of people standing up and being outspoken out there. That's what led us to be where we are now, because when we were speaking up, a lot of people remain silent, and people decided to stay quiet and let somebody else do the talking or that they're standing up? I had taken a step back a little bit. Not like I used to be before, where I was more outspoken. Not because I'm in fear of retribution or anything like that. I mean, at the end of the day, we did our job. On January 6, they went to a new. The pardons given by President Biden. I never asked for one of them. I'm grateful that he did, but I never asked for one because at the end of the day, I did my job and what it required me. And if you.
- [23:40]
Jim Acosta
I'm glad they did it because I, you know, the way that they are gaslighting people, the way that they're lying to the American people, I don't think it's a stretch that maybe they would have Come after you.
- [23:52]
Aquilino Gunnell
I'm sure they. They have thought about. There are a lot of people who support him and they are got his whispering in the ears for him. So he always put in things like, but what they gonna get me on, like doing my job?
- [24:08]
Jim Acosta
I mean. Yeah, exactly. It would be silly. It would be a farce.
- [24:11]
Aquilino Gunnell
If you remove Donald Trump's omega out of the equation and put somebody else, another type of group. These are the same videos that will be praising me if I would be spoken out against Black Lives Matters or Antifa or any other group that attacked the Capitol. And what they need to realize is that my oath has been to the Constitution of the United States, not to a president. My loyalty is to the United States and always has been. I did that in the military and also as a police officer. I'm not. I know, I know I have to obey the chain command, but I'm not going to obey the chain command of some if it goes against the law and all my beliefs that something is wrong and I shouldn't be doing it. And that's where the fallacy that a lot of people or his supporters, they always deny first that he said or did this. Then they tell them, well, it's not as bad as, you know, then come around, okay, so what he did it, deal with it. You know, I'm like, so. So they going through this whole cycle about processing and internalize it when they will never stand to any of those issues or problems or statements. If that was done by anybody else.
- [25:36]
Jim Acosta
Exactly, exactly. Well, Sergeant Goodell, I know you heard me say this before, but I hope you've been looking at some of the comments that have been coming up during the show so far. The feeling is pretty unanimous here on this show that you continue to be a hero to this country. We still thank you for what you did on January 6th. Thank you for what you did in your military career. And we're behind you all the way. So I hope you don't give up and I hope you stay positive and hope we can talk like this again.
- [26:04]
Aquilino Gunnell
Sure. Anytime you want me to hit back on your show, let me know. I'll come back. And for yours, for everybody else who's in the audience, follow me back. I'm on Soft Stack myself. If you can, please subscribe. You got my book right behind me. If you haven't listened, read it or listen to it, please do. And thanks for again, thank you for supporting us, the police officers and those who defended our nation with their memory and our sacrifice. Thank you. Appreciate it.
- [26:38]
Jim Acosta
You Bet Aquina. I have done it. I'm doing it now. I'm going to continue to do it. And for all those people out there who say, hey, let's move on, we don't want to talk about this anymore, ain't going to happen. We're not going to let that happen.
- [26:50]
Aquilino Gunnell
In order for us to move on, we need at least the plaque on being stalled. And two, they need to let that to Donald Trump because he still had not moved on even though he's the president now.
- [27:03]
Jim Acosta
That's right. He's the one that can't move on. That's exactly right. Yeah. Good to see Aquino. Thanks a lot.
- [27:08]
Aquilino Gunnell
See you.
- [27:09]
Jim Acosta
All right. Thanks, buddy. All right. Best of luck to you. Talk to you soon. And that is Sergeant Aqualino G. Let's get to my friend, your friend, Michael Cohen. It's time for another edition of Michael Monday. It's been far too long. I'm glad to have him back on the show. We've got plenty to talk about. Might be some of the same themes I was talking about with Aquilino there a few moments ago. But let's, let's get Michael on this as well. Hey, Michael, how are you, man?
- [27:38]
Michael Cohen
Jim, how we doing there, buddy?
- [27:39]
Jim Acosta
Good, good. Very good. It's been too long and it's great to see on this Memorial Day. I know you wrote about this, this on your substack. I mean, you know, knowing Trump all too well, you're not surprised to see what he said at Arlington National Cemetery, the post that he put on Truth Social, the comments that he made at West Point over the weekend. He, it just, I was saying this. He's like a non stop geyser of just nonsense and one abomination after another.
- [28:08]
Michael Cohen
You know, Jim, I started my sub sack with an emotion that Memorial Day. It's why I take this Memorial Day, Trump kills liberty. I wasn't joking, nor was I trying to be hyperbolic in, you know what, this light is sort of bad, you know. And so I said, you know, there was a time when Memorial Day meant something in this country. It's a time when we paused, if only briefly, to honor the men and women who gave their lives not just for the flag, but for the ideals stitch into its fabric. Liberty, justice, the rule of law. You see. Then I reflected back when I remember standing in cemeteries as a kid watching old veterans salute with trembling hands, tears pooling in the corners of their eyes as taps rang out over the graves of the fallen. Those moments are sacred. They were real. Instead, now you have. You have cosplay going on. You have a president that stands there with his chest puffed out, no care, calling these folks suckers and losers. They are not suckers and losers. They are the reason, Jim, that you and I have the ability to do what we're doing right now. They're the reason why everybody that you watch on substack or you watch even on television have the ability to do the things that they are doing. It's because of them. And the ones that are currently serving right now, when you walk past somebody, as we do here in New York, you know this, Jim, for Fleet Week or for, you know, the Memorial Day Parade, you say, thank you. Thank you for giving me.
- [30:08]
Jim Acosta
That's all you have to do. That's all you have to do. We don't need the other stuff. But he's at Arlington National Cemetery talking about how he's getting the Olympics and the World Cup. I mean, you know, you know this because you've been with him before when he makes these kinds of asinine comments. Do any of the aides say to him after it's over, you know, sir, maybe you shouldn't have said that? I mean, he just. I have to imagine they're all afraid to say it to him.
- [30:31]
Michael Cohen
They are afraid and they don't say it. And that's really, that's really the whole thing. As I said, it's a goddamn parody. Right? I mean, the commander in chief, that draft dodging egomaniac who has the gall. The gall to call people who put their lives on the line for his democracy, for his family's democracy, you call them suckers and losers. Yeah, imagine.
- [31:01]
Jim Acosta
And he, and he and his people and I talked about this with Aquilina a few minutes ago. He and his people say. Oh, no, he never said the suckers and losers thing. He never said that. That's. That's not. That's not real. And so on. But it leads me to believe that he did say it based on the fact that he says these asinine things at West Point. He's talking about Bill Levitt having a trophy wife in a yacht. What does that have to do with anything? That has anything to do with West Point. And then he's at Arlington National Cemetery talking about the World cup in the Olympics. If he, if he feels in these moments when he's on hollowed ground where he can. He can say these kinds of goofy, ridiculous, nonsensical things that, of course, he probably said suckers and losers, why even fight that battle anymore?
- [31:46]
Michael Cohen
You know, look, I've written about it, I've talked about it.
- [31:50]
Jim Acosta
Yeah.
- [31:51]
Michael Cohen
He certainly would not put himself in jeopardy for anyone. He doesn't have that sort of nationalism. He doesn't have that honor. That's just not who he is. What he understands, though, is loyalty. That he understands so long as it's directed to him, not to country, not to the Constitution, not to our democratic norms, but to him.
- [32:23]
Jim Acosta
Yeah, but. And you and I have had this, this conversation a few times. I'm going to bring it up again. You really don't think that he's starting to lose it a little bit? He strikes me as a couple of sandwiches short of a picnic.
- [32:36]
Michael Cohen
Well, as we.
- [32:37]
Jim Acosta
What is it about it, what's going on his head that he thinks it's okay to make these kinds of comments?
- [32:43]
Michael Cohen
Yeah. Because he doesn't understand accountability. There is no dementia. You know, he may not be as sharp as he was 20 years ago or 40 years ago, you know.
- [32:56]
Jim Acosta
Yeah.
- [32:57]
Michael Cohen
I think it's fair to say I'm not as sharp as I was when I was in my own.
- [33:01]
Jim Acosta
Yeah, right.
- [33:01]
Michael Cohen
That's just the fact. But there is. It's just an issue of being mean. It's an issue of being mean for, for the sake of being mean. Because, Jim, it's red meat for his MAGA supporters. That's it. It riles up the base. I'm more angry. Yeah. You know, Jim, to be honest with you, I'm angrier. Not with what Trump said at Arlington. I'm not angry with him at that. We expect. We expect that. You know who I'm angry at? I'm angry at those idiots that are sitting there in the, in the audience clapping atonery at the stupidity at Arlington. Sheer ignorance in Arlington Cemetery.
- [33:51]
Jim Acosta
And so I would say to everybody, makes me sick.
- [33:54]
Michael Cohen
Me too. Me too. It's why you and I get along so well. Because it's not that we agree on every economic policy or every governmental policy. We don't. But you know what we agree on? Honor. Respect the Constitution. How about respect for every Gold Star family, for every veteran, for every active duty service member who took the oath to defend the Constitution against enemies, foreign and domestic.
- [34:26]
Jim Acosta
Yeah. And it's exhausting, too, because listen, this is the last thing I want to do on a Memorial Day is spend my time talking about. I enjoy hanging out with you, but this is the last thing I want to do. Spend my time talking about Trump acting like an ass in places where he should be showing honor and respect. And you know, to me, that's what makes this so difficult because he is going to keep doing this. This is going to keep happening for the next three, three and a half plus years. And I wrote about this on my substack in a piece I did. The thing that I get really worried about, Michael, because I've met West Point cadets before, is the effect that he's having on young people in America. Not just young people in America, but on young people around the world. People's ideas about the presidency in the United States are. They're kind of solidifying, they're hardening as to what it's all about based on this bozo, based on what he does. I mean, this is a toxic effect that he's having on people, Jim.
- [35:29]
Michael Cohen
How could it not be? You know, like I said, you're talking about the ongoing and continuous destruction of our democratic norms, of our ideals, of our American values. You know, I have family that live overseas and they, you know, they were called me, you know, just to see how I was doing, just to sort of catch up. I haven't spoken to them in, I don't know, maybe a month. And they asked me, how are you holding up with all of this? We didn't feel like bothering you, but, you know, we, we haven't spoken to you in about a month and probably the longest we've ever gone not speaking. My first cousins. And I said, you know, I'm okay. You know, I'm saddened, saddened watching a guy who, who I have had so much regard for, a guy who, as I had written about in my book, disloyal, that I would have taken a bullet for. And I'm watching him as he's destroying, destroying everything that you're supposed to really care about.
- [36:45]
Jim Acosta
Yeah.
- [36:45]
Michael Cohen
It's not supposed to be predicated on the almighty dollar, right?
- [36:50]
Jim Acosta
Yeah.
- [36:51]
Michael Cohen
You know, you work hard, you'll make, you'll make money, you know. You know, you'll make something. I'm not saying that you're gonna end up buying a 200 foot yacht, but you, you know, you work hard, you'll. You should do okay. Right? You should be able to exit the American dream and have the American dream. Not with Trump and these people anymore. Yeah, right now this is all about them, what they can steal from this country. And it's not just money. It's our souls. It's the souls of America. And I don't want this to sound like some sort of a, you know, Memorial Day plea. It is not right. But on Memorial Day, it's the day that you're supposed to take a second and you're supposed to pull back and thank the memories of those that have given up the ultimate sacrifice.
- [37:53]
Jim Acosta
Yeah, no, I agree with you. I agree with you.
- [37:56]
Michael Cohen
We're watching it eroding.
- [37:58]
Jim Acosta
I know. And I think about my mom's parents are buried at Arlington National Cemetery. And it makes my blood boil. Not just to hear Donald Trump make those asinine comments that he did. It makes my blood boil. As you said it so perfectly, the people who are applauding, the people who are, the people who are applauding that, the people who are applauding that sick behavior are also sick. And that's what makes me worry about this country. It makes me worry about this world because I have to assume there, there are some young people in that crowd who felt it was appropriate to applaud. They looked at maybe their parents and grandparents who are applauding and it just needs to stop. There has to be respect for a place like Arlington National Cemetery. My God, is there anything that is left in this country that is sacred to this man? I mean, that to me, the answer is there's nothing. If he can't, if he can't behave himself there, where, where can he?
- [38:56]
Michael Cohen
No. Spot on, Jim. Spot on. Spot on. If you would share with our, with our viewers right now, share with them what took place already at Arlington Cemetery once before where they were instructed. This was during, I think the campaign.
- [39:18]
Jim Acosta
During the campaign, they were filming an ad. They filmed an ad there. They were told, they were told people around Trump were told not to film an ad at Arlington National Cemetery. And they apparently pushed one of the workers there, they got physical with one of the workers there and, you know, there was an investigation and so on. And of course, because Trump is the commander in chief, nothing's ever going to happen in that case. But you know, that, that did happen during the campaign. And these folks obviously have no respect for that hollowed ground. And it is where the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is. It is where so many people's lives, loved ones are buried. I mean, one of the time honored traditions here in Washington. Michael, during the holidays, there's a wonderful group of people who put wreaths on every one of those grave markers during the holidays. I mean, this is, it's an institution in the Washington, D.C. area that is revered. And I remember my, my mom's dad died when she was 2 and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. I didn't know him, obviously, but my mom's mom, my grandmother died when I was a senior in high school and was buried next to him at Arlington National Cemetery. And I have to tell you, that was a massive point of pride for. For our family that they. That they're buried, you know, and it just. It just makes my blood boil.
- [40:40]
Michael Cohen
And, you know, I got goosebumps, you know, from the story.
- [40:43]
Jim Acosta
Yeah.
- [40:44]
Michael Cohen
I remember in 1987, when I was working for Congressman Joe Moakley of Massachusetts, I was a junior at American University, and I was working as an assistant legislative aide at Joe Moakley's office there in the Capitol. And I remember them turning around and saying, anybody who has some free time on Memorial Day, we assist in laying and placing the flags, the little American flags, you know, directly to the right of every one of the headstones that are there. And they asked if anybody was going to be and wanted to do it. And I wasn't going back to New York because we didn't have, you know, a lot of days off, so I figured I'd just stay and stick around in D.C. and so I did. And I got to tell you, it was the experience of a lifetime. Of a lifetime. The honor of a lifetime to lay a little plastic flag with a little. With a little pin in it right next to the headstone, an American flag next to it. I remember they gave us this big box. We each got a gigantic box. There must have been, I don't know, 200 flags in it, and I don't know how many. Do you know how many people are actually buried at Arlington? Because there must have been a hundred people like me, 100 that were out there, each one of us putting that. I'm sorry.
- [42:28]
Jim Acosta
No, I was gonna say, that's a great story. More than 400,000 people are laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery, including those who fought in the Civil War. And of course, President Kennedy is buried there as well. So. Go on, go on. I mean, that's our. That's our nation's history right there.
- [42:46]
Michael Cohen
I just remember it like it was yesterday. And, you know, it's. These are the things that sort of make, you know, for these stories that, like, you write about and I write about in my substack, you know, when I start off, and I said as a kid, I remember going to the cemetery, and I didn't do it year after year. The reason I did it, believe it or not, I was in sixth grade at the time.
- [43:15]
Jim Acosta
Yeah.
- [43:15]
Michael Cohen
And a friend of mine was one of the most incredible in sixth grade trumpet players. He happens to be a lawyer now. He was one of the most incredible Incredible gifted musicians. And he played Taps for the VA out there in Long Island. And we went to the cemetery. And I just remember these, these elder men with their, with their lit, with their hats, you know, those little hats that.
- [43:43]
Jim Acosta
Oh, yeah, right.
- [43:44]
Michael Cohen
And they had them. They were so proud. Their uniforms were so perfectly starched. Their shoes were perfectly mirrored. I mean, shiny and done. And the, and just the, the.
- [43:58]
Jim Acosta
Your heart's just going.
- [44:00]
Michael Cohen
Their face. Yeah, Jim, the stoic look on their faces, I'll never forget it. I'm talking about, this has got to be 40. This is probably what, 45 years ago.
- [44:11]
Jim Acosta
And you remember like it was yesterday. Yeah.
- [44:14]
Michael Cohen
And, yeah, and I can remember their faces. And I remember the tears rolling down their faces as they stood saluting their fallen brethren. Right. I mean, and I'm saying to myself and this man who refused to engage, and that's okay. I understand being fear. I understand the fear that he must have had, you know, and I understand not wanting to own that fear. I think we could all sort of understand that. But then to mock the thing that you fear most, what does that say? What does that say about him?
- [44:52]
Jim Acosta
He's not a man. I mean, he's not. He's a shell of a man. And, you know, I think, listen, we should talk about some other stuff because, you know, and this flows right out of the conversation that we were having. But, you know, on Friday, he was threatening to put these tariffs on the European Union. And then yesterday he said that he's going to delay the tariffs again. The tariffs were announced on Friday and on Sunday, he said, I'm going to delay these tariffs until July 9th. This is on the European Union. Michael, what is going on with Trump threatening these tariffs and then delaying them? He's done this over and over again. He's the boy who cried tariff. I mean, this is, there's no follow through.
- [45:36]
Michael Cohen
This is a problem, Jim. Yeah, this is a problem because this word means nothing. Well, that's the problem that these, the foreign countries, they don't take him serious. Right. Yeah, yeah. He's talking tariffs again. All right. Yeah, sure. Right. It's exactly the boy who cried wolf. First of all, if you want to get somebody to the negotiating table, if it's okay, I'd like to give them a little bit of Michael Cohen advice.
- [46:08]
Jim Acosta
Yeah.
- [46:08]
Michael Cohen
Probably the identical advice the great Jim Acosta would give. Pick up a phone, make a phone call.
- [46:17]
Jim Acosta
Yeah.
- [46:18]
Michael Cohen
Call up whether it's Macron. Call up whether it's. What's her name? The, the, The Prime Minister of Italy The President of Italy, Giorgio Maloney. Yeah, Maloney, right. You know, just pick up the phone.
- [46:32]
Jim Acosta
Yeah.
- [46:33]
Michael Cohen
I promise you one thing, I'm not psychic, but I am 100% certain and willing to put money on it that if the secretary in the, in the palace there in Italy says, president Donald J. Trump is on the phone for you, Madam President, she'll pick up the phone.
- [46:55]
Jim Acosta
Exactly. That's the thing. I mean, you know, but the reason why I bring this up is because, I mean, obviously his word means nothing, not only here in the United States, but around the world. The reason I bring up the tariff thing, because he. People were making a big deal yesterday about Trump. You know, he's finally said something negative about Vladimir Putin. What Trump said, he says, this was yesterday. He was asked about the Russian attacks on Ukraine and these drone attacks, which have been unbelievable. The Ukrainians say this is probably the biggest drone attack that Ukraine has had to deal with since the start of the war. But apparently Trump said yesterday he was asked about it. I'm not happy with what Putin's doing. He's killing a lot of people. I don't know what the hell happened to Putin. I don't like what Putin is doing, not even a little bit. He's killing people. Something happened to this guy and I don't like it. I mean, if only we had a president who would do something about it. And my God, earth to Trump, Sputnik, to Trump. At what point was Vladimir Putin not a cold blooded killer in your mind? At what point?
- [47:58]
Michael Cohen
If I can ask you a question on that, at what, at what point in time? What statement did that you just read? Is that negative to Putin? You may not like what he's doing, but how about turn around and say if he doesn't knock that shit off, if he does it again, the United States will step in.
- [48:22]
Jim Acosta
Bingo.
- [48:22]
Michael Cohen
And we will do what we need to do to protect our ally.
- [48:27]
Jim Acosta
That's right. We're going to give them all the weapons that they want. They could fly those goddamn fighter jets however far they want. They can fire those missiles however far goddamn they want. And I, you know, the problem with Trump is, and I've said this before, and I'll say it again, first of all, his word means nothing on the world stage that we know. But at every turn, he sides with Putin. And so when he says something, you know, when, when they're out there, the headline writers and the editorial writers and the smart people in Washington, like, oh, he finally said something about Putin. No, he did not. That's What I'm saying, just as you said. Just as you said, Michael. No, he did not. Again, at every turn, he sides with Vladimir Putin. Doing nothing is a win for Putin. Saying something that means nothing is a win for Putin. You are the President of the United States. If you're shocked by the level of killing in Ukraine, I mean, I guess we should say welcome back to the real world. Although I don't think, I think he's just, he's just stalling for time. He just doesn't ever side with peace and democracy and the cause of freedom around the world. He just doesn't do it. He's Putin's guy.
- [49:40]
Michael Cohen
Yeah. Jim, could you imagine if instead of this non statement statement of anger or disgust based upon, you know, the attacks on Kiev and other areas there in Ukraine, he turned around and he said, I want to make this crystal clear to Vladimir Putin if there is another attack like this on Ukraine ever again. Because as of today, I'm putting my foot down. As of this moment, if I see if there is another attack such as this one, the United states will send 25,000 of its finest soldiers along with $5 billion worth of the most latest, greatest, updated, you know, tactical munitions that the United States has. And we will level Moscow like you have never experienced or thought about in your entire life.
- [51:01]
Jim Acosta
We will. Well, he's not, he's definitely not going to do that. And I mean, you know, there's, there, there are options short of a direct attack on the Russians and, and elevating and escalating things to that point. But I mean, he isn't even moving an inch in the directions where the, the Ukrainians want to go. I mean, he's not even going to the extent that, that Zelensky would go. And he, and he doesn't even try to have Zelensky as a full bargaining partner in these so called peace talks. I mean, the whole thing is, is a farce.
- [51:33]
Michael Cohen
But Jim, can I just finish one thing with Vladimir Putin? We all know who Vladimir Putin is. We all know who he is. He is a dictator. He is an autocrat. Certainly doesn't work for the United States. Maybe it works for Russia. That's fine. Keep, keep yourself, keep your autocracy, keep your fake democracy there in Russia until the Russian people revolt. But you need to leave Ukraine. And the only way, the only way to deal with somebody like Vladimir Putin is to turn around and to say to him exactly what I just said. You cannot negotiate with somebody like Vladimir Putin when it comes to this. He is 100% hell bent on a war victory because that's the only way he will be able to justify to all of the mothers, grandmothers and wives and sisters of brothers, husbands, sons that have been killed in this war. You know, people don't realize the number of casualties that Russia has experienced in their, in their soul.
- [52:57]
Jim Acosta
Oh, yeah, well, they, because they, they live in a, they live in a, a black hole of information in Russia. The Russian people do not receive the kind of information that we do here in the free world because Vladimir Putin has essentially done what Donald Trump is, is trying to take the United States in the direction of, and that is he has full state media control over the information in that country. And people who step out of line experience the same fate as Alexei Navalny. I mean, that, that's just the fact of the matter. And the Ukrainians, what they're going through right now is something that the United States should be thanking them for. They are fighting for the cause of freedom and democracy. They're doing it on the front lines of their own home, homeland. And, you know, without their bravery, without their courage, where would Putin be now? He'd be in other countries. He'd be, he'd be trying to, you know, waltz across the rest of Eastern Europe. But, Michael, it's always great to catch up with you, my man. Thank you so much.
- [53:55]
Michael Cohen
Always great to see you, Jim. You take care of yourself. To everybody, a happy rest of Memorial Day. And again, if you see anybody in uniform, just say thank you. It's that easy.
- [54:08]
Jim Acosta
Thank you. Exactly.
- [54:09]
Michael Cohen
And I say thank you to you, Jim.
- [54:11]
Jim Acosta
And I say thank you to as well. Thank you, Michael. Appreciate it.
- [54:14]
Michael Cohen
Be well, brother.
- [54:15]
Jim Acosta
Great to talk to you as always. All right, another edition of Michael Monday in the books. Just want to thank everybody for tuning in on this Memorial Day. We got, I woke up this morning and I thought, you know what? I'm going to take the day off. I'm going to hang out with family and friends. And then I saw Trump's comments at Arlington National Cemetery on the back of what he said at West Point. And then he put this truth social post out there. And I suppose there are folks out there who will say, well, there you go, you're chasing the bright, shiny object, you're taking the bait, blah, blah, blah, and so on. But I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please don't call it taking the bait. I call it taking a stand. Taking a stand for what is right in this country. And I don't want, I don't want to sound self righteous. Or I'm on my soapbox or anything grandstanding, anything like that. Somebody has to say something. My grand. My mom's parents, my grandparents are buried at Arlington National Cemetery. And there's just no way I could go through this day without standing up for them and the other people, God rest their souls, who were buried there because of what they did for this country, because of the sacrifices they made on behalf of this country. It's not taking the bait. It's taking a stand. And I thank Sergeant Akalina Gunnell for taking a stand. You know, some of these police officers who fought to protect the Capitol on January 6 after Donald Trump was reelected, put back in the White House and he pardoned all Those criminals from January 6, those police officers could have said, you know what? That's it. I'm done. I'm not going to be in the public square anymore. I'm not going to talk to people in the press. I'm not going to talk to people like Jim. That's it. I'm done. And people like Akalina are still out there, still speaking the truth, still talking about why it's necessary to have a plaque that honors the police officers of January 6th hanging in that Capitol. It should be hanging in that Capitol, honoring the service of those police officers. Full stop. Full stop. Every day that that plaque is not hanging in the Capitol is an outrage, and it is a cause for shame for the people who are standing in the way of that. And so I'm very thankful to Aquilina Gennell. I salute his service. I thank him for his service. I thank Michael Cohen for. For staying in the fight. He's another person, after Trump was reelected, put back in the White House, could have said, you know what? Ah, I'm done with this. I'm not going to speak out anymore. Hell, after what happened to me, I could have said, you know what? The hell with it. That's it. Not going to speak out anymore. Not going to do that. Nope. Just watch. Just try and stop me. Every day that you go out there, Donald Trump, and just spew one abomination after another, just know you're not going to wear us down. We're not going to get tired. We're not going to stop. We're not going to quit. We're going to keep speaking out. We're going to keep speaking out because that is the right and good thing to do. It is the right and good thing to do, to speak out on behalf of our democracy. And the pundits and the experts and the. And the People who are paid a lot of money and sit in lofty positions here in Washington, they can say, oh, you know, the pollsters say, the experts say, you shouldn't talk about democracy, you shouldn't talk about freedom, you shouldn't talk about the rights of migrants, you shouldn't talk about those kind. You shouldn't be talking about the rights of the vulnerable in this country. Those are the, eh, those things are losing issues. They're losers. Screw that. To hell with that and keep fighting for this stuff. Going to keep talking about this stuff. And speaking of that, I hope if you're in the Washington D.C. area that you will join me on Monday, June 2nd. That is one week from today, Monday, June 2nd, one week from today at the Lincoln Theater here in Washington D.C. we're going to be having a live town hall. Got my friend Olivia Troy there, got my friend Michael Fanone there. Gonna have some other surprise guests there, some folks who have been in the news lately. Not gonna give it away just yet, but we're gonna have some other surprise guests there. And over the course of this week, little by little, we're gonna fill you in on who's gonna be there on Monday, June 2nd at the Lincoln Theater here in Washington D.C. you're not gonna want to miss this. You want to get your tickets. Tickets are going to cover the costs of this live town hall. You know, this is not a money making venture. This is about giving the time and space. People like the federal workers in the Washington D.C. area who want their voices heard, people like the musicians at the Kennedy center and people who work in the arts around Washington D.C. aaron Parnas has told me he's going to be there. Somebody was just asking about Aaron Parnas. He told me he's going to be there. Duke is Duke going to be. Oh, man. I'll talk to the Lincoln Theater. I don't know what their pet policy is. It would be wonderful if Duke could be there. If Duke can be at the Lincoln theater on Monday, June 2 for our live town hall. The fire, we're calling it the fire within. I will bring him. He will make an appearance. If, if it's allowed, I'll bring my, my poop bags and the whole nine yards, just in case. He's. He's pretty good. He's pretty. He's pretty well broken at this point. Nobody. No dog is perfect. No man is perfect. No woman is perfect. No dog is perfect. But if possible, Duke will be there as well. But want to thank everybody for watching. I know you're there's. Some people say you shouldn't say happy Memorial Day. I'm going to say happy Memorial Day because I do hope that all of you have the great start to the summer that you all deserve, unofficial start to summer that you all deserve. But I'm also going to say make it a good Memorial Day and think about the people who did make the ultimate sacrifice for this country and just think some good thoughts about them and what this country is all about on this Memorial Day. Really appreciate your time. Still reporting from Washington, I'm Jim Acosta. Have a good night, everybody. Thanks for watching. Take care. Good night.