Now, Cohen is returning the favor. “I will not be a punching bag as part of anyone’s defense strategy,” he told Stephanopoulos. “I am not a villain of this story, and I will not allow others to try to depict me that way.”

As he has in past comments, Cohen broke with Trump and the president’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani by praising the FBI agents who raided him as professional. (This is, to be fair, probably tactically shrewd.) As for the broader investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, Cohen said he doesn’t like the term “witch hunt,” the president’s favored epithet.

“As an American, I repudiate Russia’s or any other foreign government’s attempt to interfere or meddle in our democratic process, and I would call on all Americans to do the same,” he said. “Simply accepting the denial of Mr. Putin is unsustainable.”

Only Cohen, and perhaps his lawyers, know what is motivating these strong, implicit criticisms of his once-beloved former boss at this moment. Vanity Fair has reported that there were tensions between Cohen and the Trump camp over payment of Cohen’s legal bills. The Stephanopoulos interview could be a warning shot for the Trump team, grasping for leverage. With each move by anyone ensnared in the broader Russia case, there is speculation that they’re angling for a pardon, too. Or it could be that Cohen has just run out of patience with Trump. ABC also reports that once Cohen’s new lawyer, Guy Petrillo, takes over, he will end an information-sharing agreement with the president’s legal team.

Whatever his motivations, Cohen is learning the lesson that Trump confidants since at least Roy Cohn have all eventually learned: Trump demands loyalty, but he does not offer it in return. It doesn’t matter how many professions of bullet-taking one offers; the president will cut anyone off if it’s useful to him.

As Trump demonstrates his haste to throw over old pals, old pals are reciprocating. The president has seen a surprising number of former aides turn away from him in one way or another. This is clearest in the legal sphere. In addition to Cohen, former National-Security Adviser Michael Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to federal agents and is cooperating with special counsel Robert Mueller. On a lower level, so did George Papadopoulos, a foreign-policy adviser to the campaign. Former deputy campaign chair Rick Gates agreed to cooperate, too, though only after having a second round of charges dropped on him. Sam Nunberg, a scorned former aide, testified to Mueller and has criticized Trump publicly. Now comes Cohen.

Outside the legal sphere, former strategist Steve Bannon has delivered occasionally harsh criticism of Trump and of his team, earning a rebuke from the president. Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and former National-Security Adviser H.R. McMaster have offered some veiled criticisms as well, though neither was ever close to Trump.