Michael Cohen claims Trump once said that black people are 'too stupid' to vote for him


President Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, is now trying to get out the vote for Democrats with some shocking allegations about his former boss.
Cohen told Vanity Fair Friday that Trump frequently used racist language in private before he became president. In one example, Cohen recalls telling Trump ahead of the 2016 election that the crowd at one of his rallies was almost entirely white. "That’s because black people are too stupid to vote for me," Trump reportedly responded. In another instance, Cohen claims Trump, after the 2013 death of Nelson Mandela, said, "Name one country run by a black person that’s not a sh-thole. Name one city."
That's not all. During a conversation about The Apprentice, Cohen says Trump talked about his decision not to pick Kwame Jackson as the season one winner. "There's no way I can let this black f-g win," Cohen says Trump explained. Jackson himself told Vanity Fair that he had heard that Trump made this comment about him, and Omarosa Manigault, who was also a contestant on The Apprentice, has previously alleged that Trump once called Jackson the N-word. Cohen also claims that when he and Trump were driving through what he describes as a "rougher neighborhood" in the late 2000s, Trump commented, "only the blacks could live like this."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Cohen, who once said he would take a bullet for Trump but has since implicated him in campaign finance violations and become a Democrat, told Vanity Fair that he's coming forward with these allegations just four days ahead of the midterms because he wants voters to know that the president's rhetoric in private is even worse than it is in public. Read more at Vanity Fair.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Court says labor board's structure unconstitutional
Speed Read The ruling has broad implications for labor rights enforcement in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi
-
Feds seek harsh charges in DC arrests, except for rifles
Speed Read The DOJ said 465 arrests had been made in D.C. since Trump federalized law enforcement there two weeks ago
-
Trump taps Missouri AG to help lead FBI
Speed Read Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has been appointed FBI co-deputy director, alongside Dan Bongino
-
Trump warms to Kyiv security deal in summit
Speed Read Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Trump's support for guaranteeing his country's security 'a major step forward'
-
DC protests as Trump deployment ramps up
Speed Read Trump's 'crusade against crime' is targeting immigrants and the homeless
-
Ukraine, European leaders to meet Trump after Putin talks
Speed Read Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy today following talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week
-
Border agents crash Newsom redistricting kickoff
Speed Read Armed federal Border Patrol agents amassed outside the venue where the California governor and other Democratic leaders were gathered
-
Man charged for hoagie attack as DC fights takeover
Speed Read The Trump administration filed felony charges against a man who threw a Subway sandwich at a federal agent