As part of his testimony before the House Oversight Committee, Michael Cohen noted that he considers President Donald Trump to be a racist based on things he’s heard him say over the years. But Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) took issue with that, claiming that there was no way the president could be a racist, because he employs African-Americans.
In his opening statement, Cohen remarked:
“I am ashamed because I know what Mr. Trump is. He is a racist. He is a con man. He is a cheat.”
Meadows conveniently happened to have a Lynn Patton an African-American official with the Department of Housing and Urban Development standing behind him, so he used her like a prop, asking Cohen:
“How long have you known Ms. Patton?”
Cohen replied:
“I’m responsible for Ms. Patton joining the Trump organization in the job that she currently holds.”
The congressman then remarked:
“I’m glad you acknowledge that because you made some very demeaning comments about the president that Ms. Patton doesn’t agree with. In fact, it has to do with your claim of racism. She says that as a daughter of a man born in Birmingham, Alabama, that there is no way that she would work for an individual who was racist.
“How do you reconcile the two of those.”
The president’s longtime attorney and fixer said he should never have worked for Trump, either, “as the son of a Holocaust survivor.”
Meadows then inquired:
“But, Mr. Cohen, I guess what I’m saying is, is I’ve talked to the president over 300 times. I’ve not heard one time a racist comment out of his mouth in private. So how do you reconcile it?”
In response, Cohen told Meadows:
“Ask Ms. Patton how many people who are black are executives at the Trump organization. The answer is zero.”
Exactly! Donald Trump has repeatedly said and done things that strongly suggest he is indeed a racist. He was once sued by the government for refusing to rent to African-American tenants. He also had this to say about black accountants:
“Black guys counting my money! I hate it. … I think that the guy is lazy. And it’s probably not his fault, because laziness is a trait in blacks.”
What Mark Meadows was saying it a variation on an old cop out that’s been used for decades by white people: I can’t be racist. Some of my best friends are black.
Featured Image Via YouTube Screenshot
