Watch Michael Cohen, former head of Trump's National Diversity Coalition, call Trump a racist


Michael Cohen's opening statement to the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday was full of eye-popping moments, not the least of which was Cohen's claim that President Trump frequently made racist comments in his presence. "Mr. Trump is a racist," Cohen announced, adding as examples that the president "once asked me if I could name a country run by a black person that wasn't a 's--thole' ... While we were once driving through a struggling neighborhood in Chicago, he commented that only black people could live that way. And he told me that black people would never vote for him because they were too stupid."
Cohen's confession was particularly shocking because just a few short years ago, Cohen founded and headed the National Diversity Coalition for Trump and passionately argued that the then-candidate was not racist in a nearly 10-minute speech, Mediaite reports.
"I've lost count as to how many times the disgusting, liberal, mainstream media have attempted to label Mr. Donald Trump a racist, a xenophobe, and a bigot," Cohen said at the time, adding: "As the son of a Holocaust survivor, it's hard to sit back — actually, it's morally wrong to sit back and do nothing when someone who you know, someone who you hold in great esteem and truly care about is being so viciously attacked, day in and day out. Not only is Donald Trump not a racist, he believes that all people are part of one race: the human race."
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.
Watch Cohen's 2016 defense of Trump at Mediaite, and watch Cohen call Trump a racist, below. Jeva Lange
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
Political violence: The rise in leftist terrorism
Feature A new study finds that, for the first time in decades, attacks by far-left extremists have surpassed far-right violence in the U.S.
-
The GOP: Merging flag and cross
Feature Donald Trump has launched a task force to pursue “anti-Christian policies”
-
October 7 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Tuesday’s political cartoons include Chicago in trouble, RFK Jr's medical advice, and more
-
Judge bars Trump’s National Guard moves in Oregon
Speed Read In an emergency hearing, a federal judge blocked President Donald Trump from sending National Guard troops into Portland
-
Museum head ousted after Trump sword gift denial
Speed Read Todd Arrington, who led the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, denied the Trump administration a sword from the collection as a gift for King Charles
-
Trump declares ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels
speed read This provides a legal justification for recent lethal military strikes on three alleged drug trafficking boats
-
Supreme Court rules for Fed’s Cook in Trump feud
Speed Read Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook can remain in her role following Trump’s attempts to oust her
-
Judge rules Trump illegally targeted Gaza protesters
Speed Read The Trump administration’s push to arrest and deport international students for supporting Palestine is deemed illegal
-
Trump: US cities should be military ‘training grounds’
Speed Read In a hastily assembled summit, Trump said he wants the military to fight the ‘enemy within’ the US
-
US government shuts down amid health care standoff
Speed Read Democrats said they won’t vote for a deal that doesn’t renew Affordable Care Act health care subsidies
-
YouTube to pay Trump $22M over Jan. 6 expulsion
Speed Read The president accused the company of censorship following the suspension of accounts post-Capitol riot