Tuesday’s statement by Cohen was a jiujitsu move that evaded Trump’s disinformation campaign, and it might not be the last such move. More evidence of crimes that don’t fit Trump’s narrative could weaken the resolve of Trump’s base, or cause some high-profile Republicans to break with the president. Or a Democratic victory in November, along with a stronger PR campaign by Democrats on corruption and impeachment, could ultimately sway enough Republicans to make a difference.

That is what the survival of the Trump presidency comes down to. If Trump has 34 Republican votes in the Senate, he can pardon his friends and associates with impunity and he need not fear an indictment in the upper chamber until 2021 at the earliest. Even if Trump loses the 2020 election, he could step down and have Vice President Mike Pence pardon him before he leaves office. Any limits on Trump’s pardon power are untested. It’s not clear if New York’s attorney general will come riding to the rescue, either: State prosecutors cannot charge obstruction of a federal investigation and are unaccustomed to charging complex financial crimes.