Jay Goldberg, a friend and former attorney for President Trump Donald John TrumpSteele Dossier sub-source was subject of FBI counterintelligence probe Pelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' Trump 'no longer angry' at Romney because of Supreme Court stance MORE, said late Wednesday that it should concern Americans that the president "can't be counted on to tell the truth."

Goldberg was asked on CNN's "Cuomo Prime Time" about the president's changing explanations regarding whether he knew of hush-money payments to two women who allege they had an affair with Trump more than a decade ago.

"The question is, should he be punished for the falsehood that he said, for example, on the plane?" Goldberg said, referencing Trump's original claim he was not aware of a $130,000 payment to adult-film star Stormy Daniels.

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"The answer is it wasn't under oath. It wasn't given to an FBI agent. It's not punishable," Goldberg continued. "It's wrong, but it's not punishable. It has to be under oath or it has to be given to an agent of the government."

President Trump's friend and former lawyer @JayGoldbergNYC tells @ChrisCuomo “Trump deserves the hostility of the public for the fact that he can't be counted on to tell the truth" https://t.co/9vw0fvP1Pr pic.twitter.com/34KgDsHP3E — Cuomo Prime Time (@CuomoPrimeTime) August 23, 2018

Trump's ex-attorney, Michael Cohen, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to eight felony charges, including two counts of violating campaign finance law by arranging the payments involving two women who say they had affairs with Trump.

Cohen told the court that he paid the two women at the direction of a candidate for federal office, implicating Trump without mentioning his name.

Trump previously told reporters aboard Air Force One he was unaware of the payments, but later admitted to reimbursing Cohen. On Wednesday, he told Fox News he found out about the payments "later on."

"That should concern the public, that the president can't be counted on to tell the truth," Goldberg said. "I mean, I’m a good friend of the president, and I don't condone lying to the public. That I’ll agree with."

Goldberg also expressed caution over Cohen's willingness to cooperate with prosecutors, arguing that he "can't be counted on to tell the whole truth simply because he's testifying for the government."

The president has suggested that Cohen is lying to get an improved plea deal.