Other Michael Cohens Want You To Know That They Are Not That Michael Cohen

Trump supporter Michael D. Cohen (L) and progressive columnist Michael A. Cohen (R) Image by Twitter and YouTube

By JTA Staff April 10, 2018

(JTA) — The FBI’s raid on the offices of President Trump’s personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, has unsettled the White House, the markets — and other men named Michael Cohen.

Twitter users who share the common Jewish moniker with Trump’s attorney were simultaneously amused and abashed as news of their namesake’s legal jeopardy broke around the net.

They included Michael A. Cohen, a columnist for the Boston Globe and frequent critic of the president, who actually had to write about the raid in Tuesday’s paper. “We are in unchartered territory,” he wrote in his column. “On Monday morning, FBI agents raided the office and home of President Trump’s attorney, Michael Cohen (the other one).”

Michael A. Cohen also tweeted about the “other one”:

My latest for @GlobeOpinion on some guy named Michael Cohen, who, as far as I’m aware, does not have a dog named Baxter https://t.co/rGqK4l9eYD

— Michael Cohen (@speechboy71) April 10, 2018

Michael Cohen, who covers sports for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, assured followers that it wasn’t him:

Nobody raided my apartment.

— Michael Cohen (@Michael_Cohen13) April 9, 2018

He was comforted by a follower named Rob Porter, who shares a name with the former White House staff secretary who stepped down following allegations that he had abused his two former wives:

I feel your pain Michael.

— Rob Porter (@RobPorter9) April 10, 2018

Michael E. Cohen, a writer and editor from Santa Monica, California, is even careful to distinguish himself in his Twitter handle:

Been waitin’ a long time for this pun to become operative! https://t.co/3BcZQ6EVG5

— Michael E. Cohen (NOT the Trump lawyer) (@lymond) April 10, 2018

And Canadian podcast maker Michael Cohen tweeted on behalf of all the Michael Cohens whose offices were not raided by the FBI on Monday:

PSA: There are many, many Michael Cohens. Most of us are generally decent people. Please don’t let this one Michael Cohen ruin Michael Cohens for you. #NotAllMichaelCohens

— Michael J. Cohen (@Arkwulf) April 9, 2018

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO