On Tuesday, the Democratic Party shills at NBC News decided that the best way to kick off the final stretch of the 2020 presidential race was to bring on anti-Trump convicted felon Michael Cohen to hurl wild accusations and hawk a new book timed to impact the election. Despite briefly noting Cohen’s complete lack of credibility, Nightly News anchor Lester Holt was still happy to promote unfounded claims from the former Trump attorney who “now seems eager to take down” the President.
Appearing on the Today show to tout his exclusive sit-down with Cohen, Holt helped launch the disgruntled convict’s book tour by proclaiming: “Michael Cohen says he’s full of regrets from his 12 years working at Trump’s lawyer, and as you said, self-described spokesman, thug, and pitbull. He says he was an active participant in Trump’s rise, a man he now seems eager to take down.”
The first clip that played in the highly edited, taped segment was of Cohen ranting: “I describe Mr. Trump as a cult leader. And I was in this cult. And while I was in the cult I really was refusing to acknowledge that the actions that I was performing for my boss were morally wrong.”
Sounding like a blurb on the dust jacket recommending the book, Holt declared: “In his memoir, Disloyal, Michael Cohen says he wants others to see the Donald Trump he knew.” He then eagerly indulged the author’s vitriol: “You call Trump a racist. Were you witness to any moments that you thought he was exhibiting racism or used a racial slur?” Cohen replied: “Unfortunately, all too many times.”
Later in the softball exchange, Holt finally provided some brief push-back against Cohen – who plead guilty to lying to Congress among other charges:
The White House has blasted Cohen’s book as “fan fiction,” saying Cohen, “Readily admits to lying routinely by expects people to believe him now so that he can make money from book sales. It’s unfortunate that the media is exploiting this sad and desperate man to attack President Trump.”
Cohen simply remarked: “So I made my mistakes and I have owned them publicly and I cannot make everybody believe me.”
Rather than continue to press him on having zero credibility, Holt instead returned to pretending the convicted liar’s claims had merit: “Cohen believes some of Mr. Trump’s behavior could one day land him in prison.” The anchor immediately asked about the leftist media holy grail when it comes to taking down Trump: “Have you seen Donald Trump’s tax returns?” Cohen provided this laughable response: “Only from afar, laid out on the table in the conference room.” In other words, no.
Wrapping up the report, Holt again acknowledged: “Cohen knows readers will question the validity of many of his claims, but he wants us to believe this.” A soundbite then ran of Cohen delivering unhinged conspiracy theories about the election:
So Donald Trump will do anything and everything within which to win. And I believe that includes manipulating the ballots. I believe that he would even go so far as to start a war in order to prevent himself from being removed from office.
Given that Cohen has so many obvious credibility problems, why did NBC decide to give him a national platform to spew his accusations? The answer is simple, the network is willing to violate every principle of journalism to defeat Trump in November.
Later Tuesday morning, CNN’s Reliable Sources host Brian Stelter promoted the NBC interview on Twitter by quoting Cohen’s assertion that his book is “the death punch to Trump’s election.” That’s exactly why people like Cohen are given air time.
In fact, on Monday, another anti-Trump author known for lying was featured on the morning show when correspondent Hallie Jackson lobbed softballs to disgraced former FBI official Peter Strzok. And guess what, he has a book out as well.
The disgusting hackery on NBC this morning was brought to viewers by Walgreen’s and McDonald’s. You can fight back by letting these advertisers know what you think of them sponsoring such content.
Here is a full transcript of the September 8 segment:
7:14 AM ET
CRAIG MELVIN: The highly anticipated new memoir from President Trump’s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen is out today. That book casts the President, in Cohen’s words, as a master manipulator. Cohen, who pled guilty to federal charges, including tax evasion and lying to Congress, is currently serving the remainder of his sentence under home confinement. NBC’s Lester Holt talked to Michael Cohen exclusively. Lester, good morning to you.
LESTER HOLT: Craig, good morning to you. Michael Cohen says he’s full of regrets from his 12 years working at Trump’s lawyer, and as you said, self-described spokesman, thug, and pitbull. He says he was an active participant in Trump’s rise, a man he now seems eager to take down.
MICHAEL COHEN: I describe Mr. Trump as a cult leader. And I was in this cult. And while I was in the cult I really was refusing to acknowledge that the actions that I was performing for my boss were morally wrong.
HOLT: In his memoir, Disloyal, Michael Cohen says he wants others to see the Donald Trump he knew.
You call Trump a racist. Were you witness to any moments that you thought he was exhibiting racism or used a racial slur?
COHEN: Unfortunately, all too many times. We had one where right after Nelson Mandela had passed away, and I talk about this in the book, he asked me if I had “known of any country that’s run by a black that’s not an s-hole.” And I said, “Well, how about America?” To which he gave me the proverbial f-you.
HOLT: Among the charges he pled guilty to were federal campaign finance violations, in part for buying the silence of adult performer Stormy Daniels, he says to protect Donald Trump. He also says he was expected to deny Mr. Trump’s alleged affairs to Melania Trump.
COHEN: And I would lie to her and I would like to her at the request and for the benefit of Mr. Trump, my boss. And I knew what he wanted me to say –
HOLT: You would tell her nothing happened?
COHEN: And I would tell her nothing happened and the whole story is not accurate. And I have a document from the individual stating that it didn’t happen. But the one thing I can tell you about our First Lady, Melania Trump, is that she knew I was lying the whole time but she had enough class to not call me out on it.
HOLT: The White House has blasted Cohen’s book as “fan fiction,” saying Cohen, “Readily admits to lying routinely by expects people to believe him now so that he can make money from book sales. It’s unfortunate that the media is exploiting this sad and desperate man to attack President Trump.”
COHEN: So I made my mistakes and I have owned them publicly and I cannot make everybody believe me.
HOLT: Cohen believes some of Mr. Trump’s behavior could one day land him in prison.
Have you seen Donald Trump’s tax returns?
COHEN: Only from afar, laid out on the table in the conference room.
HOLT: Manhattan’s District Attorney is currently before a federal appeals court trying to get President Trump’s tax returns as it examines, among other things, whether bank or tax fraud occurred.
You said, “He would have CFO Allen Weisselberg and me concoct the highest possible number, inflating the valuation of the buildings and golf courses by using the absolute most optimistic comparable properties.”
COHEN: One of the reasons that we were doing it is because Mr. Trump wanted to be higher in the Forbes 500 list. And the way to do that, he would just come up with a number. He said, I’m worth $8 billion, I’m worth $10 billion.” And our job was then to take the assets and to figure how you’re going to back that $10 billion number that he wants to be.
HOLT: New York federal prosecutors acknowledge, “Cohen did provide information to law enforcement,” including the Special Counsel’s Office. But also noted that, “Cohen’s description of those efforts is overstated in some respects and incomplete in others.”
So does that diminish your credibility, the fact that even prosecutors weren’t sure they got the full thing?
COHEN: Yeah, I’m not so sure that it diminishes anything, considering I believe about 18 investigations were open based upon the information that I provided. Including the need for his tax returns.
HOLT: Cohen knows readers will question the validity of many of his claims, but he wants us to believe this.
COHEN: So Donald Trump will do anything and everything within which to win. And I believe that includes manipulating the ballots. I believe that he would even go so far as to start a war in order to prevent himself from being removed from office.
HOLT: And Cohen refuses or says he can’t say, frankly, whether he is a witness in any current investigation. And he tells me that he pled guilty only because he says prosecutors were threatening to indict his wife. And he says he had just a few days to make that choice, Craig.
MELVIN: Alright. Lester, thank you so much. We know you’ll have more of that exclusive conversation with Michael Cohen tonight on NBC Nightly News.
