Justin Amash, who after his mild and non-combative, non-accusatory questioning, is going to be ostracized by his fellow Republicans, asked, "What truth does Trump fear most?" There were several minutes of hesitation and re-asking before Cohen said it was too difficult a question to answer.
Cohen was browbeat regarding a form he signed (I think in preparation for the hearing) by one Republican, whose name I forget and will add in when I find it. (Mark Meadows) The man tried to make it seem as though - and demanded the Committee follow up on seeing that Cohen get charged with violating FARA requirements for having lied about his represenations that he didn't lobby for any foreigners. Cohen kept trying to argue that the form didn't require him to list foreign companies, which he admitted to, only governments, but the Congressman, in a righteous fury thought he landed a blow by saying that the form did ask for any foreign entities. Cohen finally said he'd look at it again after the hearing and amend it if necessary. A few interrogators later, Katie Hill (D-CA) says the form does not in fact ask for any foreign entites - just for foreign governments. Oops, asshole. I wonder if one of his staff thought that was a point, of if he himself actually misread the form.
GOP folk are losing so big that when they yield their time to ranking member Jordan, he's reduced to asking questions and when he gets the answer, just saying, "Wow" sarcastically. After that, nobody has yielded their time to him. I never imagined they'd be so bad at this.
Indeed.
Regarding being left hanging on Jamie Raskin's question about other instances of possible hush money payment, Peter Welch asks about other instances. Cohen relates the question of a possible love child with an employee, which an elevator operator told some magazine he knew about. David Pecker paid him $15,000 for the story in a "catch and kill" move. Cohen says they turned up nothing. He also says the rumor of an elevator tape showing that Trump hit Melania is bull, because he knows that Trump would never ever do anything like that. He's got a lot more faith in Trump than I do.
...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.
UPDATE:
I'm guessing he didn't read it and just thought he knew what it said. Because if he had, he wouldn't have tweeted this:
Did somebody not say these jackasses shouldn't be tweeting during the hearing?
Annette, Annette, Annette. Wait until he finds out. Sadly, I doubt many people who are cheering this will bother to retract.
UPDATE:
The full hearing (video from USA Today)
UPDATE 3/1:
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