The man who showed Donald Trump how to exploit power and instill fear

[DonViejo]

By Robert O'Harrow Jr. and Shawn Boburg

Donald Trump was a brash scion of a real estate empire, a young developer anxious to leave his mark on New York. Roy Cohn was a legendary New York fixer, a ruthless lawyer in the hunt for new clients.

They came together by chance one night at Le Club, a hangout for Manhattan’s rich and famous. Trump introduced himself to Cohn, who was sitting at a nearby table, and sought advice: How should he and his father respond to Justice Department allegations that their company had systematically discriminated against black people seeking housing?

“My view is tell them to go to hell,” Cohn said, “and fight the thing in court.”

It was October 1973 and the start of one of the most influential relationships of Trump’s career. Cohn soon represented Trump in legal battles, counseled him about his marriage and introduced Trump to New York power brokers, money men and socialites.

Cohn also showed Trump how to exploit power and instill fear through a simple formula: attack, counterattack and never apologize.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/former-mccarthy-aide-showed-trump-how-to-exploit-power-and-draw-attention/2016/06/16/e9f44f20-2bf3-11e6-9b37-42985f6a265c_story.html

[Chasstev365]

1. Great Post!

Sadly, most younger Americans don't know who Joe McCarthy is, let alone Roy Cohn.

[cali]

2. Fascinating. Roy Cohn is one of the more despicable people of that era

Of course, I suspect that Trump's father preceded Cohn in showing him how to instill fear and exploit power, as well as instilling in him his bigotry and xenophobia.

thanks for posting this, Don.

[DonViejo]

3. Hi cali! You're welcome...

The last time I saw Cohn, being interviewed by Mike Wallace on 60 Minutes, he was in all out denial about having AIDS. The play, "Angels in America" destroyed that denial.

How ya been, cali?

[bemildred]

4. It's not exactly a new idea, or something Cohn invented.

It is the vanilla stance of all despots, large and small. "Never apologize, never explain."

[winstars]

5. Great article, thanks!

[UTUSN]

6. Ya beat me to it!1 Saved me cutting/pasting. COHN, STONE, DRUMPF - what a cesspool

Lots more WaPo reporting on DRUMPF going on, no wonder he banned them!1

[kimbutgar]

7. Trump and cohn two peas in a pod!

Great article. Just goes to show you how trump has always been slimy.

[UTUSN]

8. K for a re-read. Roy COHN, Roger STONE, DRUMPF the 3 amigos. "If you're indicted you're invited"

Repukes are just mired in cesspools. Oh, but COHN was technically a Registered Democrat, as probably DRUMPF was. No wonder DRUMPF has banned the Washington Post from his plane, their reporters have been dishing all the filth DRUMPF has lived all his life. If anybody else had as much baggage as he does, they would be laughed out of even signing up to run for anything. If we thought “If the glove doesn’t fit you must acquit” was a good line, with COHN, whose parties were filled with everybody under indictment, the word was “If you’re indicted you’re invited.”

“ 'Trump Revealed,' a broad, comprehensive examination of the life of the presumptive Republican nominee for president. The biography, written by Post reporters Michael Kranish and Marc Fisher in a collaboration with more than two dozen Post reporters, researchers and editors, is scheduled to be published by Scribner on Aug. 23."