Michael Cohen just buried the Republican Party
If you’re like me, after watching the Kavanaugh hearings and now the Michael Cohen hearings, you’re starting to get the idea of how these things go. One party supports the witness, while the other party does not. So, we watch one House member ask questions of the witness. One thanks the witness, makes supportive statements and asks soft questions. The next member tries to discredit the witness.
Each Republican has attacked Michael Cohen with virtually identical accusations, that he is a liar and he cannot be trusted. In the lead up to this hearing a lot of the speculation about how credible Michael Cohen would be centered around Cohen’s demeanor, if he could sound reasonable, stay non-defensive and not fly off the handle. So far, Michael Cohen has succeeded, but the Republicans have not.
Republican Congressman Paul Gosar of Arizona in particular was uncomfortable and hard to watch as he stumbled over his words. His demeanor and his countenance seemed angry. He struggled getting his words out and he attacked Cohen’s character in a harsh and personal way. When it was finally Cohen’s turn to answer, Cohen gave his best answer so far.
Michael Cohen admitted he lied for the ten years he worked for Trump. He covered for him, and attacked people in similar fashion to how the how the Republicans in the room are currently behaving. He then cautioned everyone not to do what he had done, by blindly following Trump to their own detriment. Overall, Cohen is appearing far more measured and sincere than the Republican members who are attacking him.
Cheryl Kelley lives in the DC area with her husband and young son. She is active in government and politics.