Time magazine debuted a splashy front cover Thursday, with an animated graphic questioning whether President Trump can weather the legal controversy surrounding himself, his personal lawyer Michael Cohen, and porn star Stormy Daniels.
“TIME’s new cover: Donald Trump relied on Michael Cohen to weather the storm. Now the President is on his own,” the publication announced via Twitter.
TIME’s new cover: Donald Trump relied on Michael Cohen to weather the storm. Now the President is on his own https://t.co/Z8L5fYLuCO pic.twitter.com/UfTcklwg41
— TIME (@TIME) April 12, 2018
The magazine’s cover story follows FBI agents raiding Cohen’s home, office and a hotel room Tuesday, seizing documents relating to among other things Cohen’s $130,000 payment to Daniels to keep quiet about her alleged extramarital affair with Trump in 2006.
Some lawyers are speculating that the hush money, exchanged shortly before the 2016 presidential election, could have violated campaign finance laws.
Daniels is also suing the pair over the nondisclosure agreement, which stipulates a $1 million penalty per infraction, arguing that it is invalid because it was only signed by Cohen and not Trump.
The provocative front cover, however, divided online pundits.
Daniels’ legal counsel Michael Avenatti predictably praised the artwork, while other commentators panned Time for running similar anti-Trump covers in the past.
As we have predicted. Bad things happen when you don’t surround yourself with competent, intelligent, battle-tested counsel. Eventually, the chickens come home to roost. Not “if”, only a question of “when”. #basta https://t.co/F6CD8Xj5rn
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) April 12, 2018
k isnt it the same cover every week? I feel like ive seen this before like 7 times. https://t.co/cFjzZ5Rt1u
— Ugochi™ (@brthdaygrl) April 12, 2018
