New Book 'American Scoundrel' Explores Roy Cohn's Influence on Donald Trump
A new book titled 'American Scoundrel: Roy Cohn's Dark Journey from Joe McCarthy to Donald Trump,' authored by Kai Bird and Susan Goldmark, delves into Roy Cohn's role as a mentor to Donald Trump and his impact on contemporary U.S. politics. Cohn, who passed away from AIDS at 59 in 1986, first crossed paths with Trump in 1973 at Le Club in Manhattan. He gained fame as a prosecutor who convicted Julius and Ethel Rosenberg and worked closely with Senator McCarthy during the 1950s anti-communist campaigns. Cohn advised both Nixon and Carter, and had ties to mobsters. Bird highlights how Cohn instilled in Trump a refusal to accept blame and a knack for media attention. The biography also covers Cohn's relationships with various notable figures and his extravagant parties. It’s published by Monocle and is out now.
Key facts
- Roy Cohn died of AIDS in 1986 at age 59.
- Cohn met Donald Trump in 1973 at Le Club in Manhattan.
- Cohn was chief counsel to Senator Joseph McCarthy during the anti-communist witch hunts of the early 1950s.
- Cohn helped send Julius and Ethel Rosenberg to the electric chair.
- Cohn advised presidents Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter and represented New York mobsters.
- The book 'American Scoundrel' is by Kai Bird and Susan Goldmark.
- Trump praised Cohn in an interview with Bird, calling him 'a wonderful man' and 'a smart lawyer.'
- Cohn hosted birthday parties at Studio 54 and the Armory, attended by elite New Yorkers.
Entities
Artists
- Roy Cohn
- Donald Trump
- Kai Bird
- Susan Goldmark
- Andrew Mueller
- Julius Rosenberg
- Ethel Rosenberg
- Joseph McCarthy
- Richard Nixon
- Jimmy Carter
- Aristotle Onassis
- Barbara Walters
- Rupert Murdoch
- George Steinbrenner
- Peter Manso
- Dora Cohn
- Bernie
Institutions
- Monocle
- Le Club
- Studio 54
- The Armory
- Bank of United States
Locations
- New York City
- United States
- Manhattan
- Mississippi
- Bronx
- Park Avenue
- Sing Sing
Sources
- Monocle —