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.
As Trump's lawyer, Cohn advised the real estate mogul on everything from getting a prenuptial agreement before his marriage to first wife Ivana to helping negotiate a $20 million tax abatement for the construction of Trump Tower. But it wasn't just business — the two were genuinely buddies:
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In The New York Times in 1980, Cohn called himself "not only Donald's lawyer, but also one of his close friends."They talked, according to Vanity Fair, "15 to 20 times a day."Cohn's vanity plate on his Rolls: RMC. Trump's vanity plate on his Cadillac limo: DJT. [Politico]
Trump even stuck with Cohn through his disbarment proceedings, when Cohn was hit with charges of fraud, deceit, and misrepresentation. And while Cohn was indeed disbarred in the end, it wasn't until Trump learned that Cohn had been diagnosed with AIDS that he decided to sever his ties with his mentor.
"Donald found out about it and just dropped him like a hot potato," Cohn's longtime secretary Susan Bell said. "It was like night and day."
Cohn was reportedly stunned by the betrayal, after all he'd done for Trump. "Donald pisses ice water," he is quoted as saying in Barrett's 1992 book about Trump.
The company a man keeps is one thing — but perhaps a whole other is why he leaves in the end. Read the full story in Politico.
-
‘The worry is far from fanciful’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
How are Americans bracing for the end of SNAP?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION Millions depend on supplemental federal food funds that are set to expire this month, as the government shutdown begins to be acutely felt
-
Book review: ‘Joyride: A Memoir’Feature A journalist’s story of how she chased and accomplished her dreams
-
Shutdown stalemate nears key pain pointsSpeed Read A federal employee union called for the Democrats to to stand down four weeks into the government standoff
-
Trump vows new tariffs on Canada over Reagan adspeed read The ad that offended the president has Ronald Reagan explaining why import taxes hurt the economy
-
NY attorney general asks public for ICE raid footageSpeed Read Rep. Dan Goldman claims ICE wrongly detained four US citizens in the Canal Street raid and held them for a whole day without charges
-
Trump’s huge ballroom to replace razed East WingSpeed Read The White House’s east wing is being torn down amid ballroom construction
-
Trump expands boat strikes to Pacific, killing 5 moreSpeed Read The US military destroyed two more alleged drug smuggling boats in international waters
-
Trump demands millions from his administrationSpeed Read The president has requested $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department for previous federal investigations
-
Trump nominee in limbo after racist texts leakSpeed Read Paul Ingrassia lost Republican support following the exposure of past racist text messages
-
Trump begins East Wing demolition for ballroomspeed read The president’s new construction will cost $250 million
