It’s easy to see why Trump would value Cohen’s fixer work (though he probably wishes Cohen had done a tighter job on the Daniels situation), but less clear why he’d need his legal advice. Since entering office, Trump has arguably been better represented than at any other time in his career. He has the White House Counsel’s office; he has Ty Cobb, who is working the Russia matter from inside the White House; and he has a personal legal team, which includes Jay Sekulow and has previously included Kasowitz and John Dowd. The Trump Organization has its own representation.

The specifics of that attorney-client relationship will likely be central to wrangling over Cohen, and may help determine what else the public learns about the materials seized from him. Trump’s response to the raid has been uncommonly furious, even by his standards. It’s far more heated than his reaction when Rick Gates, his former deputy campaign manager, pleaded guilty, or when Mueller indicted Paul Manafort, his former campaign chair. Not since Michael Flynn has any individual’s plight so inflamed Trump, and in that case he fired FBI Director James Comey, eventually triggering the special counsel’s appointment.