Six weeks ago, CNN broke a blockbuster story.

Based on several anonymous sources, it reported that former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen was present when then candidate Trump was told in advance of the infamous Trump Tower meeting where Russian emissaries offered dirt on Hillary Clinton.

Bam, a smoking gun of collusion. meeting where Russian emissaries offered dirt on Hillary Clinton. Bam!

A smoking gun of collusion.

Michael Cohen claims that then candidate Donald Trump knew in advance about the June 2016

meeting in Trump Tower in which Russians were expected to offer his campaign dirt on Hillary

Clinton.

Crucially, these sources tell us that Cohen is willing to make that assertion to the

special counsel Robert Mueller.

One of those anonymous sources turns out to be Cohen's own lawyer, Lanny Davis, himself,

a political fixer and opportunist with the history of shady clients.

But since then, Davis has not only walked back his allegation, he's recanted it. Here he is first with CNN's Anderson Cooper,

and then Fox News Channel's Howard Kurtz. So Michael Cohen does not have information that President

Trump knew about the Trump Tower meeting with the Russians

beforehand or even after?

No, it does not.

Did you ever confirm to CNN reporters this allegation about the Trump Tower meeting off the record?

I was never sure in my confirmation. I was uncertain. And in fact fact I expressed my uncertainty but not

clear enough so I can understand that they interpreted what I said as a

confirmation and have not blamed CNN I have blamed myself in the original

reporting bylined among others by famed Watergate reporter Carl Bernstein, in a standalone

sixth paragraph, there was this sentence.

...