this is "nightline." >> tonight, the michael cohen interview. >> i gave loyalty to someone who truthfully does not deserve loyalty. >> president trump's former personal lawyer and fixer breaking his silence on his hush money and secret deals. cohen putting a finger directly at the president. >> he was trying to hide what you were doing, correct? >> correct. >> and he knew it was wrong? >> of course. >> and he was doing that to help his election? >> the george stephanopoulos exclusive interview. >> how does this end for donald trump? plus striking a chord. ♪

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thank you for joining us. he was president trump's personal lawyer and fixer. now michael cohen is facing a three-year prison sentence, in part for his role in hush payments paid to two women who allege they had an affair with mr. trump. an exclusive interview telling george stephanopoulos how blind loyalty led him down a dark path. >> emotional day in court yesterday. how does it feel today? >> like i have my freedom back. though i have to be honest, it's been very rough too. to be before the court with my family in attendance, my mother, my father, my wife, my children. it was a very rough day. >> reporter: he was the president's fixer, the man who

once said he'd take a bullet for donald trump. >> i'll do anything to protect mr. trump. >> reporter: now michael cohen says he's going to prison in part because of the work he did for trump. was yesterday the hardest day of your life? is that going too far? >> it's an understatement. >> yet you feel you've turned a corner? >> i know i have. >> reporter: just this week cohen sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to financial crimes, lying to congress, and two campaign finance violations in connection with hush money payments made to porn star stormy daniels and playmate karen mcdougal. >> the president's tweeting from very early in the morning, several different things. what struck me most is his claim that you agreed to this plea deal for this reason, he said. those charges were just agreed to by him in order to embarrass the president and get a much reduced prison sentence. >> he knows the truth. i know the truth. many people know the truth. under no circumstances do i want to embarrass the president of the united states of america.

the truth is, i told the truth. i took responsibility for my actions. and instead of him taking responsibility for his actions, what does he do? he attacks my family. >> who he says, his claim, you're lying about him to protect your wife, to protect your father-in-law? >> inaccurate. he knows the truth. i know the truth. others know the truth. and here's the truth. the man doesn't tell the truth, and it's sad that i should take responsibility for his dirty deeds. >> reporter: cohen is cooperating with special counsel robert mueller in his russia investigation, and separately, federal prosecutors in the southern district of new york have implicated but not charged the president in those deals. they allege cohen acted in coordination with and at the direction of trump, according to court filings. trump tweeted he never directed michael cohen to break the law. >> if it were true that the president was just an unwitting

client who'd been advised badly by a lawyer, could be a defense. problem is, according to michael cohen, donald trump made the deal himself with american media. at this point, the president is effectively an unindicted coconspirator. >> reporter: bombshell revolutions, prosecutors reach agreement with ami, publicishers of "the national enquirer." its ceo is trump associate david pecker. the tabloid admitted to making a $150,000 payment in mcdougal in concert with the trump campaign. you lied for him for a long time. >> more than ten years. >> why? >> out of loyalty. out of loyalty to him. i followed a bad path. and hence how we started this conversation. i have my freedom. i will not be the villain of his sto story. >> he's saying very clearly that he never directed you to do

anything wrong. is that true? >> i don't think there's anybody that believes that. first of all, nothing at the trump organization was ever done unless it was run through mr. trump. he directed me to make the payments, he directed me to become involved in these matters, including the one with mcdougal, which is really between him and david pecker and then david pecker's counsel. i just reviewed the documents in order to protect him. i gave loyalty to someone who truthfully does not deserve loyalty. >> he was trying to hide what you were doing, correct? >> correct. >> and he knew it was wrong? >> of course. >> and he was doing that to help his election? >> you have to remember at what point in time that this matter came about. two weeks or so before the election. post the billy bush comments. so yes, he was very concerned about how this would affect the election. >> to help his campaign? >> to help him and the campaign.

>> you mentioned dirty deeds in your allocution. when you think about it, when you look back, did you know what you were doing -- >> i'm angry at myself. because i knew what i was doing was wrong. i should not be the only one taking responsibility for his actions. >> so he's still lying? >> yes. >> do you know why you were loyal to him at the beginning? >> no. no, it was a blind loyalty. it was to a man i admired. but i -- i do not know the answer to it. >> the prosecutors seem to suggest it was -- southern district prosecutors, i should add, seem to suggest it was you were being driven by greed and ambition? >> no, that's inaccurate. i didn't make my money working for donald trump. i made a substantial amount of money years before working for donald trump. and anybody who knows me knows that to be the truth. >> so what do you say to people,

and there are a lot of people who would be watching who are going to be thinking, but wait a second, he lied for so long, why should we believe him now? what's the answer to that? >> what do you mean lied? lied about what? it's new york real estate. yes, it's the greatest product ever created. is that a lie? >> you pleaded guilty to lying to congress. >> yes. >> so why should we believe you now? >> because the special counsel stated emphatically that the information that i gave to them was credible and helpful. there's a substantial amount of information that they possess that corroborates the fact that i am telling the truth. >> reporter: in april the fbi raided cohen's office, home, and hotel room, seizing electronics and documents, some of which related to a payment to karen mcdougal. you're done with the lying? >> i am done with the lying. i'm done being loyal to president trump. and my first loyalty belongs to my wife, my daughter, my son,

and this country. >> reporter: but some members of congress are still skeptical. >> it appears that mr. cohen's testimony would be a critical part of it. and i think his -- mr. cohen's a gangster. i mean, his credibility is suspect at the least. >> it was lost on few that marco rubio came out in the last couple of days and said, you know what, we have to get to all of the facts. you're starting to see the cracks in the wall that republicans have put up. >> you worked for him a long time. many, many years ago you seemed to be having fun. >> there was a lot of fun going on at the trump organization. >> with donald trump? >> i enjoyed working with my colleagues there as well. >> when did it change? >> i can't give you a specific time that it went from point "a" to point "b." it was just a change. i will tell you that the gentleman that is sitting now in the oval office, 1600 pennsylvania avenue, is not the donald trump that i remember from trump tower. >> how so?

>> he's a very different individual. >> what's happened to him? >> i think the pressure of the job is much more than what he thought it was going to be. it's not like the trump organization where he would bark out orders and people would blindly follow what he wanted done. there's a system here. he doesn't understand the system. and it's sad, because the country has never been more divisive. and one of the hopes that i have out of the punishment that i've received as well as the cooperation that i have given, i will be remembered in history as helping to bring this country back together. >> the special counsel did say that you were doing your best to tell the truth about everything related to their investigation, everything related to russia. do you think president trump is telling the truth about that? >> no. >> that's a big statement. when you look back at the michael cohen who spent ten

years with donald trump, what would you say to him on that first day? >> what were you thinking? you knew better. you know better. >> how does this end for donald trump? >> that sort of gets into the whole investigation right now. i don't want to jeopardize any of their investigations. >> you're still cooperating? >> if they want me, i'm here. and i'm willing to answer whatever additional questions that they may have for me. >> right. so you're saying there are certain areas you can't get into because you're still cooperating with them? >> correct. >> why do you think president trump is lashing out against you in such a personal way? daily, almost, now. calling you weak, calling you a liar. is he afraid? >> seems like it. that's what he does. that's what he does. >> are you afraid of him? >> it's never good to be on the

wrong side of the president of the united states of america. but somehow or another, this task has now fallen onto my shoulders. as i also stated, that i will spend the rest of my life in order to fix the mistake that i made. >> how are you going to do that? >> don't know. one day at a time. >> for "nightline," i'm george stephanopoulos in new york. >> we'll hear from the president's current attorney, rudy giuliani, sunday on "this week with george." next, singer dua lipa's special brand of electricity. the pop princess reveals her backstage secrets. ready to get your feast on? you better be 'cause it's red lobster's new create your own ultimate feast event! pick 4 of 10 favorites to create the ultimate feast you've been dreaming of. will you choose creamy lobster mac & cheese, tender, wild-caught snow crab...

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♪ one kiss is all it takes falling in love with me ♪ ♪ possibilities i look like all you need ♪ ♪ one kiss is all it takes falling in love with me ♪ ♪ possibilities i look like all you need ♪ that's "one kiss" from the music sensation dewa lipa, storming the world with a string of hits. her name means love, and her fans are giving plenty of it. zachary kiesch with another look at the pop princess. >> reporter: dua lipa, the jewi jewish-albanian artist who's one of this year's pop disrupters. her self titled album "dua lipa." "dua" means "love" in albanian. ♪ he's only calling because he's drunk and alone ♪

>> reporter: including this year's boyfriend breakup anthem "rules." ♪ it's going to look better in the morning ♪ ♪ you ain't getting by him >> reporter: the music video has become one of youtube's most watched of all-time. >> this is 1 billion. 1 billion. >> 1 billion-plus youtube views on this one. ♪ you say sorry >> reporter: her post-break u.n. battle cry "i don't give a" cemented her as one of spotify's most-streamed artists. on top of that she just earned two grammy nominations. >> thank you so much. because i couldn't have done this without you guys. >> reporter: we join the singer on tour in chicago. two years ago she performed here at the vick theater as a supporting act. >> i'm really excited about tonight. >> reporter: tonight it's her show. >> when i did that show, it was such a [ bleep ] deal for me.

to get to headline my own one is crazy. ♪ >> reporter: she openly draws inspiration from other artists. we witnessed her in her green room absorbed by risalia, the spanish that men ka and pop sensation's new song. just moments before warming up. >> one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight! whoa! ♪ ♪ i know we got something that money can't buy ♪ ♪ playing the field loving so late in the night ♪ >> reporter: they say it's not what you do, it's how you do it. ♪ if you don't like the way i >> it's all good. >> it was amazing.

even when i first started, people were like, what's your favorite thing about touring? it's like, seeing people sing those songs back to me. that feeling never, ever gets old. it's why i love why i love what i do. >> reporter: dua is working with some of the biggest names. the most recent hit "electricity" is a collaboration with mark runsin. ♪ electricity flowing into you >> reporter: but success comes with challenges. being on the road for most of the year can be tough. >> pixie and i are basically tour wives. it's nice to have a friend on the road. she's mental and crazy. >> true. >> she's a lot of fun. >> reporter: by the time we caught up with them outside of dua's hotel, they had company. >> we're heading off to a workout. kind of feels normal, our day. where we wake up, we find a

workout that we like somewhere nearby, we just go. we work out, we have breakfast, we start our day. that kind of makes us feel like we're kind of in a routine. and that life isn't as crazy as it actually is. >> reporter: later that day, it's back to work. as dua heads out to the lollapalooza music festival. >> i like this festival. it's always got good energy. if it's anything like last night's show, i think it's going to be stoked. >> reporter: from there she heads into interviews. >> this one here. sunny hill. >> this means a lot to me. >> reporter: and fan meet and greets. and finally she heads out to the stage. >> dua, dua, dua, dua, dua! >> reporter: test ns of thousan

of fans waiting hours. the band performs its ritual. and then it's only her. and the people. ♪ tell me i have dreams but i'm the same me the same me ♪ ♪ inside dua lipa! >> reporter: dua lipa. authentic. unapologetic. on top of the world. >> i want to hear you! ♪ >> reporter: for "nightline," i'm zachary kiesch in chicago. and next, a christmas greeting hgreet ing getting the royal treatment. we saved hundreds on our car insurance when we switched to geico. this is how it made me feel. it was like that feeling when you're mowing the lawn

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