REVEALED: Trump tried to rid himself of Michael Cohen in 2009 -- and it could now come back to haunt him

As the world awaits to see if the former personal lawyer for President Donald Trump flips on his ex-boss, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that Trump attempted to rid himself of the attorney back in 2009 -- and only agreed to take him  back at half the salary.

According to the report, in 2009 Trump convened a meeting to discuss the dismissal of Cohen with the intent of asking him to resign from his job with the Trump Organization.

A Trump company aide who spoke with the Journal, said Trump had become disenchanted with Cohen's work but didn't want to fire him because he liked him personally. Noting that Cohen didn't seem to be getting work done, Trump reportedly blurted, “What’s he doing here?”

The report states that word got back to Cohen who "grew visibly upset," and promised, “I will try to prove myself.”

Unable to pull the trigger and boot Cohen from the organization, Trump reportedly relented -- but slashed Cohen's pay to half of the $400,000 he was making at the time.

Asked to comment of the previously undisclosed revelation of trouble between the two men years ago, Cohen issued a statement to the Journal stating: “Your entire set of facts, as put forth below, lack any accuracy and demonstrate you are just another member of the fake news propaganda machine.”

The report notes that Cohen's contentious relationship dating back to 2009 -- coupled with the President turning his back on him at his hour of need -- could push Cohen to flip on the president.

"Some allies of Mr. Trump have expressed concerns that Mr. Cohen, who is shopping for a new legal team, will cooperate with investigators—a decision that one person close to Mr. Cohen said he hadn’t yet made," the Journal writes. "The outcome is likely to determine how the final chapter of the 12-year-long relationship between the two men is written."

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