Michael Cohen’s testimony before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Wednesday lived up to its billing – and then some.
For most of the proceedings, Cohen was stone faced – seemingly resigned to his fate and content in the notion that the American public would find his account more credible than that of the man who currently occupies the Oval Office.
His assessment of Trump’s character was devastatingly blunt and, importantly, entirely consistent with the president’s self-professed penchant for putting “winning” above all other considerations.
Cohen delivered myriad allegations of bad faith in an at times unnervingly straightforward manner, on the way to painting Trump as an irredeemably corrupt autocrat whose history of criminal conduct continued unabated after the election.
Republicans’ efforts to cast aspersions were generally outweighed by the sheer magnitude of what it was Cohen was trying to communicate about the fragility of the republic.
During the testimony, we documented the moment when Cohen, careful to avoid making claims he couldn’t back up, answered in the affirmative when asked by Debbie Wasserman Schultz whether Trump, Don Jr. and Ivanka might have been compromised by Russia during the campaign. We also documented the extent to which Cohen’s demeanor did not suggest malice towards Trump or his family, nor did he seem to take pleasure in maligning his former boss.
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In the hours that followed, there was no shortage of grandstanding from both sides of the aisle and, predictably, a melee ensued when Rashida Tlaib – one of the new “stars” on the Hill – called out Mark Meadows for a stunt involving Lynne Patton (an African American woman who works in the Department of Housing and Urban Development).
“Just because someone has a person of color, a black person working for them, does not mean they aren’t racist and it is insensitive that some would even say — the fact that someone would actually use a prop, a black woman in this chamber, in this committee, is alone racist in itself”, she said.
Meadows promptly lost his mind. Thankfully, Elijah Cummings defused the situation – or at least he attempted to. Everyone delivered pseudo-apologies.
For her part, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez quizzed Cohen on his allegations of financial fraud against the president and, predictably, Allen Weisselberg came up. To call the following clip foreboding would be to grossly understate the case.
Cohen also indicated there are other ongoing investigations into Trump, his associates and/or his businesses.
But it was Cohen’s rather chilling closing statement that stole the show. Before delivering a scathing critique of the state of American democracy, Cohen explicitly warned that the Trump he knows will not give up power, no matter what voters decided at the polls.
As you listen to Cohen’s closing remarks, we would ask you to try and conjure a scenario that sees Trump amicably cede power after a hypothetical election loss. Go ahead, we’ll wait.
Spoiler alert: there is no such scenario.
If Trump were to lose in 2020, he would doubtlessly cry voter fraud, sue and exhaust any and all measures at his disposal to avoid leaving the White House – and not because he enjoys being a public servant. But rather, because having tasted this kind of power and being the textbook narcissist that he most assuredly is, the prospect of losing an election and bowing out gracefully would be a complete non-starter.
Further, one has to wonder whether Trump would, during a theoretical second term, seek to abolish term limits for the president.
If you think any of that is far-fetched, we would note that Michael Cohen, a man who knows this president better than you ever will, thinks it is not only possible, but entirely likely:
One onlooker’s expression said it all:
Nothing further.
Maybe T Rump’s voters want an autocracy.
Bread and circuses. That’s all his base wants. They could give a shit about democracy. And they have that in common with the McConnells, Nuneses, Jordans, Meadowses, and Gaetzes of the world.
I’m pretty sure I bought a sofa from that Gaetz guy. Or maybe it was that ’87 Mazda.
“who are ready to abandon a system of meritocracy for handouts” — I’d be laughing if I wasn’t crying so hard. Are you serious? You live in the real world. Have you seen, for example, Ivanka’s public disclosure form. Doens of made-up positions at made-up organizations that pay her six and seven figures to literally do nothing. Get a clue.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/storage.citizensforethics.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/11212818/TRUMP-IVANKA_2018-Annual-Report_Pending-Certification20180611.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1sGgXDW8ypAMqredxERHVRx0O1gqsEvJo6YcT8D-nZ4oAVwIbdl99doSU
We live in a dark time
Try living here in the political red lands where even educated people support trump spectrum wide politically. I have a cryptic not overt anti trump sticker on the back window of my truck and was recently followed to my place of work by an individual with a fracking consulting company logo on his truck. I stepped out of my truck put my cowboy hat on, and i believe he took a look at my frame thought better of it and drove off. For what because I give a shit about the environment. It is a dark time and I am angry.
So we have two congenital liers that deserve each other. Of the two, I’d feel better with Cohen as Pres because at least he can put a complete sentence together and when you listen to several in a row there’s actual syntax. Not to mention he’s younger and smarter. Can anyone really imagine how the Mango would perform under the same circumstances? Someone above mentioned how they fear AOC. I can understand that because she was one of the few that opened other avenues that can now be explored by her questions as opposed to the general wad-blowing that took place. I’m a geezer and am ready to hand it over to the kids. Listening to angry old white men is like going to the dentist – no matter what the drug – it’s gonna be painful.
‘Mango’. I like that. A man, on the go. Thanks! Always great to meet a fan. BTW, have you watched my new show? “Annoying Orange”?
What are we arguing about? I did not vote for or support Trump. He is a disgrace to capitalism. What I am focused on is the way forward for capitalism. I don’t think it is perfect,but it is better than a highly regulated, managed system manipulated by the Pelosi/Reid dynamic or the AOC/ deBlazio mentality. We are a consumption economy occupied by folks that have been conditioned to want “more” everyday. Not saying I love that trait, just saying that’s who we are. “Supersize” me is the driving force in technology, food and credit. I am not a participant in that pursuit. I don’t go to Starbucks twice a day for social and oral gratification.
I do live on an island half time, but am in the fray of capitalism the other half of the time; I fly commercial between venues. Say whatever you want about the “rigged” economy, the “gig” economy is where we are headed for a variety of reasons. The point is, everybody must have a purpose (job) to carry them through the journey. The Amazon jobs were important for a whole group of people trying to move up the ladder. AOC was wrong to kill them without an alternative to fill the void.
I don’t believe I know what a government guaranteed job looks like; the Army, road repair, traffic guard for school crossings? These are not going to fulfil the human desire of accomplishment and pride in who you are and what you have done.
I didn’t see a politician on the panel of inquisitors that looked like the captain of the future.
Thank you for that point of view .. In the world dominated by immoral insanity this is the sanest point of view I have heard in a long while.
It sort of kicks me back to help center myself
g………..
Trump Avoids Draft, Goes To Vietnam, Gets Killed At Home
Here is a haiku for everyone:
Cohen testifies
Republicans go ape shit
They still trust in Trump.
Here is another:
Heisenberg is right.
Trump will destroy the U.S.,
Caring for himself.
Look. We all know that Trump is being enabled by his supporters in Congress. Why they are blindly following him is beyond my comprehension. Are they all still afraid to be called named on the playground by the class bully? Anyway, the one question I would have for all these grandstanders is: What would it take for Trump to lose your support? What would he have to do–what evidence would you have to see–before you start to do your freaking job and stand up to him? For many, I suspect the answer is: nothing would lose their support. And thus that is the way that history will remember them, when this horrible episode of American history is finally over. If the country survives.
Cohen remarked that he could envision Trump refusing to step down and voluntarily give up power. It’s just a short step from there to inciting his supporters to riot in his defense, and for them to target, say, federal government workers in their communities.
As bad as things have been, I really fear we are about to enter a very dangerous time.