flip if the Government lets them out of trouble, even if it means lying or making up stories. Sorry, I don’t see Michael doing that despite the 1025 horrible Witch Hunt and the dishonest media! In an email that day to Cohen, Costello wrote that he had spoken with Giuliani. 1026 Costello told Cohen the conversation was “Very Very Positive[.] You are ‘loved’. . . they are in our corner. . . . Sleep well tonight[], you have friends in 1027 high places.” Cohen said that following these messages he believed he had the support of the White House if he continued to toe the party line, and he determined to stay 1028 on message and be part of the team. At the time, Cohen’s understood that his legal fees were still being paid by the Trump Organization, which he said 1029 was important to him. Cohen believed he needed the power of the President to take care of him, so he needed to defend the President and stay on 1030 message. Cohen also recalled speaking with the President’s personal counsel about pardons after the searches of his home and office had occurred, at a time when the media had reported that pardon discussions were occurring at the White 1031 House. Cohen told the President’s personal counsel he had been a loyal lawyer and servant, and he said that after the searches he was in an 1032 uncomfortable position and wanted to know what was in it for him. According to Cohen, the President’s personal counsel responded that Cohen should stay on message, that the investigation was a witch hunt, and that 1033 everything would be fine. Cohen understood based on this conversation and previous conversations about pardons with the President’s personal counsel that as long as he stayed on message, he would be taken care of by the President, 1034 either through a pardon or through the investigation being shut down. On April 24, 2018, the President responded to a reporter’s inquiry whether 1035 he would consider a pardon for Cohen with, “Stupid question.” On June 8, 2018, the President said he “hadn’t even thought about” pardons for Manafort or Cohen, and continued, “It’s far too early to be thinking about that. They haven’t 1036 been convicted of anything. There’s nothing to pardon.” And on June 15, 2018, the President expressed sympathy for Cohen, Manafort, and Flynn in a