Trump was probably too preoccupied on Wednesday to comment on Michael Cohen’s seven-hour marathon testimony before the House Oversight Committee, but now that he’s back on US soil, the president isn’t holding back.
Taking aim at Michael Cohen’s insistence that he had a change of heart regarding his relationship with the president after Charlottesville and Helsinki, as well as the former Trump lawyer’s decision to break attorney client privilege and turn over financial documents detailing some of Trump’s dealings with Deutsche Bank (which Maxine Waters once described as“the biggest money laundering bank in the world”), Trump slammed his longtime employee for his “fraudulent and dishonest” testimony.
Contrary to Cohen’s claims that he had lost all respect for the president since Trump became “the worst version of himself” after taking office, Trump claimed that Cohen had circulated a “love letter to Trump” book manuscript to publishers not all that long ago – in fact, the manuscript was submitted, Trump said, after Charlottesville and Helsinki.
Wow, just revealed that Michael Cohen wrote a “love letter to Trump” manuscript for a new book that he was pushing. Written and submitted long after Charlottesville and Helsinki, his phony reasons for going rogue. Book is exact opposite of his fake testimony, which now is a lie!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 1, 2019
Trump added that Congress must “demand the transcript of…Cohen’s new book” because “Your heads will spin when you see the lies, misrepresentations and contradictions against his Thursday testimony.”
Congress must demand the transcript of Michael Cohen’s new book, given to publishers a short time ago. Your heads will spin when you see the lies, misrepresentations and contradictions against his Thursday testimony. Like a different person! He is totally discredited!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 1, 2019
Of course, Cohen’s focus on Trump’s alleged financial improprieties – he alleged that Trump would inflate or deflate the value of his assets depending on whether he was seeking inclusion on Forbes’ wealthiest list, or paying taxes, or applying for a loan – serves a very specific purpose. Now that the Russian collusion narrative has decidedly fizzled (even Cohen said he had no concrete evidence of collusion), Cohen’s testimony is part of a broader Democratic effort to shift public scrutiny toward Trump’s finances (a push that has already been wholeheartedly embraced by Waters, Adam Schiff and their respective committees).
Oh’ I see! Now that the 2 year Russian Collusion case has fallen apart, there was no Collusion except bye Crooked Hillary and the Democrats, they say, “gee, I have an idea, let’s look at Trump’s finances and every deal he has ever done. Let’s follow discredited Michael Cohen…..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 1, 2019
Trump signed off by demanding an end to the “corrupt and illegally brought Witch Hunt” and declared that “Republicans have been abused long enough”.
…and the fraudulent and dishonest statements he made on Wednesday. No way, it’s time to stop this corrupt and illegally brought Witch Hunt. Time to start looking at the other side where real crimes were committed. Republicans have been abused long enough. Must end now!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 1, 2019
Of course, Trump isn’t the first – nor will he be the last – person to point out inconsistencies and flaws in Cohen’s testimony. Two Congressional Republicans, including Oversight Committee Ranking Member Jim Jordan and Mark Meadows, have already referred Cohen’s testimony to the DOJ.
In yesterday’s hearing, Michael Cohen made at least six false statements.@RepMarkMeadows and I have referred Mr. Cohen to the Justice Department for perjury.
Looks like he lied to Congress. Again.https://t.co/q3cj0AywFU
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) February 28, 2019
via ZeroHedge News https://ift.tt/2NAsn6h Tyler Durden