WASHINGTON — Michael Cohen, the former lawyer for Donald Trump, delivered a powerful closing statement on Wednesday as he wrapped up a day of testimony before the House Oversight and Reform Committee. Here's what he said:
"I'd like to say directly to the president: We honor our veterans — even in the rain. We tell the truth even when it doesn't aggrandize you. You respect the law and our incredible law enforcement agents. You don't villainize them.
"You don't disparage generals, Gold Star families, prisoners of war and other heroes who had the courage to fight for this country. You don't attack the media and those who question what you don't like or what you don't want them to say and you take responsibility for your own dirty deeds.
"You don't use your power of your bully pulpit to destroy the credibility of those who speak out against you. You don’t separate families from one another or demonize those looking to America for a better life. You don't vilify people based on the god they pray to and you don’t cuddle up to our adversaries at the expense of our allies. And finally you don’t shut down the government before Christmas and New Year's just to simply appease your base.
"This behavior is churlish, it denigrates the office of the president and it's un-American and it's not you."