“He spent months fawning over Vladimir Putin, publicly apologizing for the abuses of his regime and begging for improved relations, as he tried to firm up the deal. In other words, the current trajectory of American foreign policy began as an effort to make a fortune … Whatever else we discover through Robert Mueller’s investigation, that’s a historic scandal in itself.” Franklin Foer: Michael Cohen’s testimony was a reminder that this presidency isn’t normal.

+ “Republicans on the committee tried to destroy the credibility of his testimony, not because they believe that his testimony is false, but because they fear it is true.” Peter Wehner in the NYT on his former party sinking further into the cesspool.

+ David Frum: The “case against Cohen was to reiterate over and over that Cohen is a convicted liar. As he is. As are Trump’s campaign chairman, Trump’s deputy campaign chair, and Trump’s first national security adviser. It’s bold to cite the criminality of so many of Trump’s associates—and maybe more to come—as proof of Trump’s innocence.” Michael Cohen was attacked, but uncontradicted.

+ Meanwhile, Jim Jordan and Mark Meadows have officially asked the Justice Department to investigate Michael Cohen for perjury… (Speaking of Meadows, here’s a follow-up to that discussion of race that took place during the testimony on Wednesday: “Meadows says he does not support his 2012 remarks about sending Obama back home to Kenya.”)