'He is a racist. He is a conman.' Michael Cohen's most explosive claims about Trump in his blockbuster hearing
Your browser doesn't support HTML5 video.
- President Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, testified in front of the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday. Cohen worked for Trump for about 10 years and said he knows private details of the president's life.
- Cohen has pleaded guilty to several crimes including tax evasion, bank fraud, campaign finance violations, and lying to Congress. He faces three years in federal prison.
- During his blockbuster testimony, Cohen called Trump a "racist," "conman," and "cheat."
- According to Cohen, the Southern District of New York (SDNY) is currently investigating illegal acts of wrongdoing by Trump that have not yet been made public.
- Cohen's remarks could have a major impact on the 2020 election. More importantly, if Trump doesn't win reelection, he could face criminal prosecution from the SDNY.
Following is a transcript of the video.
Michael Cohen: He is a racist. He is a conman. He is a cheat.
Michael Cohen's most explosive claims about Trump in his congressional testimony
Campaign Motives
Cohen: Donald Trump is a man who ran for office to make his brand great, not to make our country great.
He never expected to win the primary. The campaign, for him, was always a marketing opportunity.
Mr. Trump knew from Roger Stone in advance about the WikiLeaks drop of emails.
Alleged Racist Comments
Cohen: Mr. Trump is a racist.
He once asked me if I could name a country run by a black person that wasn't a "shithole." This was when Barack Obama was President of the United States.
And while we were once driving through a struggling neighborhood in Chicago, he commented that only black people could live that way. And, he told me that black people would never vote for him because they were too stupid.
Alleged Wealth Inaccuracy
Cohen: Mr. Trump is a cheat.
It was my experience that Mr. Trump inflated his total assets when it served his purposes, such as trying to be listed among the wealthiest people in Forbes, and deflated his assets to reduce his real estate taxes.
Alleged Affair Payoffs
Cohen: Mr. Trump is a conman.
He asked me to pay off an adult film star with whom he had an affair, and to lie to about it to his wife, which I did.
And I am giving the Committee today a copy of the $130,000 wire transfer from me to Ms. Clifford's attorney during the closing days of the presidential campaign that was demanded by Ms. Clifford to maintain her silence about her affair with Mr. Trump.
I am providing a copy of a $35,000 check that President Trump personally signed from his personal bank 14 account on August 1, 2017 - when he was President of the United States...for the illegal hush money I paid on his behalf. This $35,000 check was one of 11 check installments that was paid throughout the year - while he was President.
When I say conman, I'm talking about a man who declares himself brilliant but directed me to threaten his high school, his colleges, and the College Board to never release his grades or SAT scores.
The most stunning revelation could be Cohen's claim that there's an investigation regarding Trump that hasn't been made public.
Democratic Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi: Is there any other wrongdoing or illegal act that you are aware of regarding Donald Trump that we haven't yet discussed today?
Cohen: Yes..And again, those are part of the investigation that's currently being looked at by the Southern District of New York.
Everybody's job at the Trump Organization is to protect Mr. Trump. Everyday most of us knew we were coming in and we were going to lie for him on something.
Cohen's claims could have a major impact on the 2020 election.
On screen: He's spoken against President Trump's character, and implicated him in multiple instances of criminal conduct that could rise to the level of impeachment.
If Trump doesn't win the next election, he could face criminal prosecution from the Southern District of New York.
Cohen: I spent the last week searching boxes in order to find the information that I did, so that you don't have to take my word for it. I don't want you to. I want you to look at the documents. I want you to make your own decision.