Donald Trump turned his back on his closest friend when he heard he had AIDS

Trump did not support his friend when shared that he had AIDS.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

They say a man can be known by the company he keeps, and Donald Trump kept — and then turned his back on — one of America's most notorious figures. For 13 years, Trump looked up to his "closest friend" and mentor Roy Cohn, who in the 1950s shadowed Sen. Joe McCarthy as the legal aide behind the Red Scare and the infamous communist hearings, Politico reports.

"[Cohn] became Donald's mentor, his constant adviser on every significant aspect of his business and personal life," Village Voice investigative journalist Wayne Barrett said.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.