Puzzle of the Day: Trump Admits Michael Cohen Is Right, But Also Says He’s a Liar

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I would normally be at lunch when Lunchtime Photo is scheduled to appear—thus the name—but today is Darzalex day and I’m stuck at the infusion center for a while. So I’m skimming the news and it turns out that Trump fixer Michael Cohen has pleaded guilty to lying to Congress. That’s actually a crime! Who knew? But I’ve got a poser for you:

  1. Cohen now admits that he worked on a Trump Tower project in Moscow all the way through June 2016, as Trump was running for president.
  2. Trump says this is correct, and it’s what he told Mueller’s investigators last week.
  3. He also says Cohen is a liar, making stuff up to get a reduced sentence.

How can this all be true at once? Is it like one of those puzzle-book things where Trump turns out to be his own mother? Who can figure out this stumper for us?¹

¹Aside from the obvious answer that Trump is a goon who automatically calls everyone he doesn’t like a liar. That answer is way too boring. I want something better.

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We were built for times like these

Russian bots are impersonating us. Trump and his allies want to silence us. AI wants to (and does!) steal our content. The list goes on. But with 50 years of experience, we know we were built for this moment: We’re ready to keep diving deep and uncovering the truth, then getting that to you right here, completely accessible and never behind a paywall.

While our work is free to read, watch, and listen to online, it’s incredibly costly to make. Court documents, travel, research: It all adds up. Because we’re a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on reader support to fund our investigations. Will you stand with us in these extraordinary times, as headlines clamour for our attention and disinformation is rampant? We can’t get the truth out without you.

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