NPR Releases Audio of Michael Cohen Threatening Reporter: ‘What I’m Going to Do to You is Going to Be F***ing Disgusting’

President Donald Trump‘s personal attorney, Michael Cohen, is no stranger to engaging in intimidation tactics to push his legal agenda, but a recorded conversation that aired on NPR Thursday shows the threats against one reporter became personal.

NPR’s Tim Mak, who had been working on a story for The Daily Beast at the time of the 2015 exchange, was investigating claims from Trump’s first wife, Ivana Trump, that she’d been raped by the president.

Ivana later appeared to walk back the claims. So, looking to get to the bottom of the matter, Mak contacted former Trump campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks, and in response, he received a call from a furious Cohen.

The embattled lawyer’s comments, which can be heard in NPR’s report, was Cohen’s first attempt to dissuade Mak from pursuing the story.

“You’re talking about Donald Trump, you’re talking about the front-runner for the GOP, presidential candidate, as well as private individual, who never raped anybody and of course understand that by the very definition you can’t rape your spouse,” Cohen said.

As the call progressed, Cohen became audibly angrier.

“Mark my words for it, I will make sure that you and I meet one day over in the courthouse and I will take you for every penny you still don’t have, and I will come after your Daily Beast and everybody else that you possibly know,” Cohen told Mak. “Do not even think about going where I know you’re planning on going. And that’s my warning for the day.”

But his “warning for the day” didn’t end before he threw in a few expletives.

“So I’m warning you, tread very fucking lightly because what I’m going to do to you is going to be fucking disgusting,” he threatened.

“Do you understand me? Don’t think you can hide behind your pen because it’s not going to happen,” Cohen ranted on. “I’m more than happy to discuss it with your attorney and with your legal counsel because motherfuckers you’re going to need it.”

Continuing, Cohen then encouraged Mak to move forward with the story, citing a lawsuit he previously brought against Univision and suggesting he could do the same to The Daily Beast if it published Mak’s reporting.

While Mak notes Cohen never ended up suing him or The Daily Beast, the lawyer’s remarks jeopardized his own career, according to former Trump campaign advisor Sam Nunberg, who said Cohen’s firing was under consideration.

Listen to the full interview above, via NPR.

[Image via screengrab]

Follow Amy Russo on Twitter: @amymrusso

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