Today in politics

By Meg Wagner, Veronica Rocha and Brian Ries, CNN

Updated 10:17 p.m. ET, April 16, 2018
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3:33 p.m. ET, April 16, 2018

Fox News' Shepard Smith says Hannity's producers are trying to contact him

Shepard Smith just said Sean "Hannity's producers are working to contact him" after word broke that the Fox News host is Michael Cohen's mystery third client.

"For us, the elephant in the room is that Sean Hannity is said to have been a third client of Michael Cohen," Smith said. "Hannity's producers are working to contact him" and, "We'll report on it when we know the rest of it."

3:26 p.m. ET, April 16, 2018

Source sheds light on Hannity's relationship with Cohen

From CNN's Gloria Borger

A source familiar with Sean Hannity’s legal relationship with Michael Cohen said Cohen "has never represented Sean Hannity in any matter involving a third party. Hannity has occasionally asked Mr. Cohen questions concerning the law that Mr. Cohen indicated would be privileged."

A statement from Hannity is coming soon.

3:27 p.m. ET, April 16, 2018

Michael Cohen's mystery third client is Sean Hannity

From CNN's Shimon Prokupecz

President Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen disclosed in court today that the third client who had requested to remain unnamed was Fox News' Sean Hannity. 

A federal judge ordered the disclosure.

Cohen is the longtime personal lawyer for President Trump. He also facilitated a payment plan totaling $1.6 million last year to a former Playboy model who says she became pregnant by Elliott Broidy, a leading GOP fundraiser, a source tells CNN.

Cohen's attorney had said there was a third client, who wanted to remain anonymous, but a judge this afternoon ordered the name of that client disclosed.

2:17 p.m. ET, April 16, 2018

Stormy Daniels arrives at New York courthouse for Cohen hearing

Stormy Daniels has arrived at a courthouse in New York City to attend a hearing about evidence obtained in the FBI raid on Michael Cohen's office and hotel room.

Earlier, her attorney Michael Avenatti said "her message has been consistent and that is she wants everybody to tell the truth and stop lying to the American people."

12:52 p.m. ET, April 16, 2018

Trump jokes his new national security adviser may lose job if he takes credit for Syria strikes

President Trump mentioned national security adviser John Bolton, who started the job last week, during his tax cut remarks in Florida.

When he brought up Bolton's name, the crowd started applauding.

"John, that's pretty good. I didn't expect that," Trump said. "I'm a little jealous."

He joked: "Are you giving him all the credit? You know that means the end of his job."

12:44 p.m. ET, April 16, 2018

Trump on tax cuts: "This country is starting to rock"

President Trump, speaking at a tax cut roundtable in Florida, said the US is "starting to rock" following the passage of the Republican tax cut bill.

He said Democrats, if elected, will "raise your taxes."

"And we can not let that happen, because this country is starting to rock with our businesses coming back in. It's starting to really rock," Trump said.

12:42 p.m. ET, April 16, 2018

Trump: Not all my Cabinet choices were good

From CNN's Kevin Liptak

President Trump conceded on Monday that not all his selections for Cabinet posts were successful.

Speaking at a tax event in Miami, Trump praised his Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and Labor Secretary Alex Acosta. But he acknowledged not everyone he picked worked out as well.

"Not all of my choices were good, but they were great ones."
12:37 p.m. ET, April 16, 2018

Trump saw "bits and pieces" of the Comey interview

From CNN's Allie Malloy

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders says the President saw some of former FBI director James Comey's interview last night — but not all of it.

"He saw bits and pieces of it, didn’t watch the whole thing," Sanders said on board Air Force One as Trump made his way to Florida.

Sanders was then asked how Trump reacted to what he saw.

"Pretty much the same feelings. The President has been pretty clear what those are as has the rest of the administration," she said.

12:34 p.m. ET, April 16, 2018

Comey, Cohen and Syria: The other things Trump is dealing with this week

While President Trump heads to South Florida this week, former FBI director James Comey has begun a media tour to tout his new book, "A Higher Loyalty."

James Comey

Comey last night gave his first sit-down interview since Trump fired him, taking aim at Trump by calling "morally unfit to be president."

Trump has already hit back at Comey, tweeting this:

Strikes in Syria

It's also the first weekday in Washington since Trump on Friday announced strikes in Syria. The US, along with the UK and France, launched strikes against targets at three sites in Syria in the early hours of Saturday morning, following a week of threats of retaliation for a chemical weapons attack on civilians in the Damascus enclave of Douma.

Trump's lawyer, Michael Cohen

And in legal news, President Trump's lawyers argued in a new court filing Sunday against the FBI search of Michael Cohen's records, and sided with the former Trump Organization lawyer's legal team to make sure confidentiality to his legal clients hasn't been breached.

The filing marks the first time the President's legal representatives have waded into an ongoing criminal matter, an unusual but not unheard-of situation for past administrations.