House Republicans on Wednesday sought to downplay Michael Cohen’s testimony against President Trump by calling him a liar and a Democratic patsy who is hoping to secure a book, movie, or TV deal based on the time he spent with the president.
Cohen, Trump’s former personal lawyer, has admitted to lying to Congress about the timing of a possible real estate deal in Russia. Several Republicans cited that conviction as a reason why nothing he says should be believed, including Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who said the hearing was a plot to build an impeachment case against Trump.
“Certainly it’s the first time a convicted perjurer has been brought back to be a star witness in a hearing,” Jordan said. “And there’s a reason this is a first, because no other committee would do it. … But the Democrats don’t care. They don’t care. They just want to use you, Mr. Cohen. You’re their patsy today. They’ve got to find somebody somewhere to say something so they can try to remove the president from office.”
.@Jim_Jordan calls today’s hearing “The Michael Cohen hearing presented by Lanny Davis.”
“That’s right, Lanny Davis choreographed the whole darn the Clinton’s best friend.” https://t.co/4G5QWrOU4l pic.twitter.com/1KCeVubgJs
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) February 27, 2019
Jordan also tried to embarrass Cohen over his decision to “create the fake Twitter account ‘Women for Cohen’ and paid a firm to post tweets like this one: ’In a world of lies, deception, and fraud, we appreciate this honest guy Michael Cohen. #TGIF #Handsome #Sexy.’” Cohen said he didn’t create the account and blamed it on a “young lady” who worked for the firm he had paid.
Jordan pressing Cohen about a fake twitter account “Women for Cohen” pic.twitter.com/bCEYWIerF0
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) February 27, 2019
“I find this hearing not in the best interest of the American people,” said Rep. Carol Miller, R-W.Va. “This is another political game with the sole purpose of discrediting the president.” She said that Cohen had been called there for a singular goal: “to impeach President Trump.”
She added that she thinks Cohen will “continue to publicly profit from discussing [his] time with President Trump,” and said she worries Cohen will “continue to lie and sensationalize as it suits [him].”
.@CarolMillerWV says it is a “shame” Cohen has been called to testify.
“I find this hearing not in the best interest of the American people. This is another political game with the sole purpose of discrediting the president.” pic.twitter.com/FYYSfFCvZk
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) February 27, 2019
While Cohen’s written testimony said he told lies and broke the law in the service of Trump, Jordan outlined several controversies that Cohen was involved with that only seemed aimed at advancing Cohen’s own career. Others followed suit, like Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., who said Cohen may have committed violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act by hiding his lobbying for foreign entities.
Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., grilled Cohen over whether he intended to use his time in the spotlight and his testimony today to profit personally. Foxx asked Cohen if he’d commit under oath not to use his time with the president “not to pursue a book or movie deal,” “not to provide commentary for a major news network,” and “not to pursue political office in New York.”
Cohen would not commit to any of this, and admitted that he’d already been contacted about book deals and movie deals.
Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Texas, charged that Cohen was trying to ”ingratiate himself” with a potential audience and predicted that when Cohen leaves prison, he’ll likely get a big book contract. Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., pressed Cohen on whether he was angling for a book contract or a movie deal too.
Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., said that, if the goal was “the search for the truth” then Cohen was the wrong witness, because he didn’t “think that Michael Cohen is capable of telling the truth.”
Cohen generally agreed with his Republican questioners that he has not acted honorably, although at one point he fought back and made it clear he’s looking to implicate Trump. After Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., called Cohen a “liar, liar, pants on fire” and a “pathological liar,” Cohen fired back, “Are you talking about me or the president?”
