Trump's Saturday Twitter attack on Michael Cohen was a 'terrible, terrible idea' that will blow up in president's face: trial attorney

Preeminent attorney Shanin Specter suggested that President Donald Trump's Saturday morning Twitter attack on his former fixer, Michael Cohen, could blow up in his face.

While spending the weekend at his New Jersey golf course, President Trump accused his former attorney, Michael Cohen, of "perhaps illegal" behavior by recording a conversation with Trump during which the two reportedly discussed a hush money payment.

“Is there not now a public war between the two?” asked CNN host Michael Smerconish.

"Yes, Mike, there appears to be," Specter answered. "This is a very surprising tweet from the president this morning where he suggests his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, committed a crime."

"The significance of this tape is that it may indicate there was criminal conduct by either President Trump or Michael Cohen or both of them," Specter explained.

Specter suggested the tape may fall under the crime/fraud exception to the attorney/client privilege.

"Read the tea leaves now, who would have motivation to put this in the public domain?" Smerconish asked.

"Michael Cohen," Specter immediately answered.

He suggested Cohen's motivation could be that, "if he still entertains the thought that the president might pardon him, the putting of this tape in the public domain is a pressure point on the president that he can do the president great damage."

"It's extraordinary that the president would suggest that Michael Cohen has committed a crime in relation to the tape recording of this conversation, which, by the way, appears to have occurred in New York State, in which there is one party consent and I'm sure that President Trump knows that," he argued.

"So not only is suggesting that Cohen committed a crime in recording him, but to accuse his former lawyer, who simply said may have the goods on him of committing the crime is a terrible, terrible idea," Specter continued.

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