GOP Rep. Mark Meadows brings a black administration official to Cohen testimony to prove Trump isn't racist
Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) on Wednesday tried to refute Michael Cohen's claim that President Trump is a racist by pointing to the fact that a black woman works in his administration.
Cohen had said in his opening statement on Wednesday that Trump is a "racist" who once privately said black people wouldn't vote for him because they're "too stupid." Meadows, a Trump ally, brought as a guest to the hearing Lynne Patton, who has worked for the Trump Organization and is now an official for the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
"You made some very demeaning comments about the president that Ms. Patton doesn't agree with," Meadows said while Patton stood next to him. "She says that as the daughter of a man born in Birmingham, Alabama, that there is no way that she would work for an individual who is racist. How do you reconcile the two of those?" Cohen responded, "Neither should I, as the son of a Holocaust survivor."
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.
Meadows went on to say that he has spoken with Trump over 300 times and has not heard him say anything racist, after Cohen said that Trump called all countries run by black people "s--tholes." Cohen asked how many black people work as executives at the Trump Organization. "The answer is zero," Cohen said. Watch the moment below. Brendan Morrow
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.
-
Why is pizza in decline?In the Spotlight The humble pie is getting humbler
-
A modern ‘Lord of the Flies,’ a zombie sequel and Jodie Foster’s first French-speaking lead role in January moviesthe week recommends This month’s new releases include ‘The Plague,’ ‘28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’ and ‘A Private Life’
-
Iran cuts internet as protests escalateSpeed Reada Government buildings across the country have been set on fire
-
The billionaires’ wealth tax: a catastrophe for California?Talking Point Peter Thiel and Larry Page preparing to change state residency
-
Hegseth moves to demote Sen. Kelly over videospeed read Retired Navy fighter pilot Mark Kelly appeared in a video reminding military service members that they can ‘refuse illegal orders’
-
Trump says US ‘in charge’ of Venezuela after Maduro grabSpeed Read The American president claims the US will ‘run’ Venezuela for an unspecified amount of time, contradicting a statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio
-
Bari Weiss’ ‘60 Minutes’ scandal is about more than one reportIN THE SPOTLIGHT By blocking an approved segment on a controversial prison holding US deportees in El Salvador, the editor-in-chief of CBS News has become the main story
-
CBS pulls ‘60 Minutes’ report on Trump deporteesSpeed Read An investigation into the deportations of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador’s notorious prison was scrapped
-
Trump administration posts sliver of Epstein filesSpeed Read Many of the Justice Department documents were heavily redacted, though new photos of both Donald Trump and Bill Clinton emerged
-
Trump HHS moves to end care for trans youthSpeed Read The administration is making sweeping proposals that would eliminate gender-affirming care for Americans under age 18
-
Jack Smith tells House of ‘proof’ of Trump’s crimesSpeed Read President Donald Trump ‘engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election,’ hoarded classified documents and ‘repeatedly tried to obstruct justice’
