The Most Important—And Neglected—Moment of the Michael Cohen Hearing

Michael Cohen’s long-awaited testimony before the House Oversight Committee offered a tour of the grimier corners of American politics. Over six hours, Donald Trump’s former fixer told Congress stories of the president’s cruelty, greed, and possible criminal conduct. President Trump, he said, had lied to the American people about many things—most notably, his involvement in payments to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, whose stories of affairs with Trump the then-candidate had sought to keep secret. He had signed checks reimbursing Cohen for those payments in the White House. He had made clear to Cohen that he expected his lawyer to lie before Congress regarding how long negotiations to build Trump Tower Moscow went on. The various entities incorporated in his name might have committed all manner of alleged fraud. The president, Cohen said, is a “racist,” a “con man,” and a “cheat.”

So it was: “You come saying I have made my mistakes, but now I want to change my life,” he said. “And you know, if we … as a nation did not give people an opportunity after they’ve made mistakes to change their lives, a whole lot of people would not do very well.”