Michael Cohen, the former personal lawyer to former President Trump who has become one of his chief antagonists, argued that the newest merchandise line from Trump, golden sneakers, shows who people should “stay away from.”
Cohen, once called Trump’s “fixer,” joined CNN’s Abby Phillip on Thursday to discuss the “Never Surrender” sneakers, which Trump unveiled at Sneaker Con in Philadelphia on Saturday.
“I mean, I don’t know who he thinks he is, Michael Jordan or my old client Kanye, you know, with Yeezys. I mean, these are some of the most repulsive, ugly-looking, $5.25-cent-to-manufacture-in-China sneakers I’ve ever seen,” Cohen said in the CNN interview.
“The one good thing for the rest of us is when we see somebody walking down the street a mile away wearing them, well, we know who they are,” he continued. “We know that they’re the racist, sexist, misogynist, xenophobic, homophobic, Islamophobic, antisemites you want to stay away from.”
The more expensive shoe starts at $399 and is a gold-colored high-top shoe with the letter “T” on the side panel. The other pair is a mid-top model that comes in two colors. The laceless shoes will be available in red and white and cost $199.
At the event in Philadelphia, Trump said he has been talking about releasing a sneaker line for 12 or 13 years. To the crowd of supporters, he said their influence has been “very positive” and thinks the shoe line will be a success.
He also released Victory 47 Cologne and Victory 47 Perfume products. None of the items on the website are connected to Trump’s presidential campaign or the Trump Organization.
Cohen, who once served as vice president of the Trump Organization and served three years in prison on counts of campaign finance violations for Trump’s 2016 campaign, tax fraud and bank fraud, testified against the former president last October.
Judge Arthur Engoron said that despite perjury allegations, Cohen’s testimony in Trump’s civil fraud trial was “credible.” His decision ordered Trump to to pay more than $355 million in penalties.