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."
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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
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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.
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