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Roy Cohn Doc Shows Trump as Devil’s Disciple
by Karl F. Cohen
Cutthroat lawyer Roy Cohn (rt) and developer Donald Trump, at a press conference concerning the civil rights suit against Trump, circa 1978. image: courtesy NY TimesFEW PEOPLE WILL DISAGREE THAT ROY
Cohn was an evil SOB. Esquire Magazine once called him “the toughest, meanest, vilest lawyer in America,” while The New Yorker identified him as “the original Donald Trump.”
He was the lawyer who helped execute the Rosenbergs in 1953 and was seen on national TV, the following year, advising Senator Joseph McCarthy as he browbeat witnesses in his search for alleged communists in the US Army. Later dubious accomplishments include defending some of the Mafia’s biggest godfathers and mentoring Donald Trump, as noted in the stellar new documentary “Where’s My Roy Cohn?” by Matt Tyrnauer.
Tyrnauer is a writer/director and award-winning journalist whose notable previous documentaries include "Valentino: The Last Emperor" (2008), short-listed for an Academy Award, "Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood" (2017), covering sex in tinsel town, and "Citizen Jane: Battle for the City" (2016), on Jane Jacobs's heroic defense of historic New York against urban developer Robert Moses.
“Where’s My Roy Cohn?”, which opens in October, does an admiral job of moving quickly through his life and exposing in full detail who he was, starting with his privileged childhood and the “values” instilled by his parents.
His father was a shyster lawyer who not only married his mother for her money but stipulated that one of her prominent relatives arrange for him to be appointed a judge.
Nevertheless, his mother was extremely domineering and Roy was very close to her. A Cohn cousin shares a story about how she, a proper upper class society woman, chose to not upset her guests one year at a Passover Seder dinner. When her maid failed to serve dinner, given she had suddenly keeled over dead, Mother Cohn had the corpse shoved under the kitchen table. No need to spoil a good party.
After Roy graduated from Columbia University’s Law School, he used his family connections to get hired as a prosecutor. One of his cases was the 1951 trial of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg who were accused of passing atomic bomb secrets to the Soviet Union.
Cohn’s direct examination of Ethel’s brother, David Greenglass, produced the testimony needed to convict her, even though she was only a secondary player and probably could have gotten off. Roy’s “friends” recall how pleased he was when she was electrocuted in Sing Sing in 1953.
The aggressive unruly Cohn believed no publicity was bad publicity, especially when attempting to intimidate enemies. image: courtesy Daily BeastThe film omits that the defense asked Greenglass to modify his testimony to include more evidence against his sister, to insure a conviction. Although he did that, he withheld testifying that his own wife was also involved.
He said his sister Ethel was at a meeting where she took notes and later typed them up. Normally that isn’t enough to electrocute someone, but Cohn is said to have given his personal recommendation that she receive the death penalty.
Impressed with Roy’s work in the Rosenberg case, FBI head J. Edgar Hoover recommended him for a job with Senator Joseph McCarthy. Roy worked for the senator in several investigations, including the so-called “Lavender Scare.”
In 1953, Eisenhower banned homosexuals from being government employees, especially those working abroad for the State Department, where they might be entrapped into a blackmail situation and become security risks. The film goes on to expose the irony of this policy as Hoover was a crossdresser and Cohn a homosexual living in the closet but being a Judas, prosecuting men whose lifestyle was similar to his.
Roy went on to play a major role in the Army-McCarthy Hearings in 1954, after McCarthy accused the Army of being soft on communism. During 36 days of televised hearings, Roy, in his capacity of chief council, was constantly seen advising McCarthy, who was seated next to him. Although TV viewers could not hear their private discussions, they must have assumed the two men shared common beliefs and attitudes.
To complicate matters, one reason for the hearings was that McCarthy was outraged that one of his former aides, G. David Shine, didn’t receive preferential treatment when he was drafted into the Army. During the hearings, the Army accused Cohn, who also happened to be a close friend of Shine, of supporting the request for his special treatment, such as making him an officer.
As the hearings progressed the Army’s chief council, Joseph Welch, discredited McCarthy over submitting doctored photographs as evidence. The public was also surprised to see what an unpleasant and aggressive bully McCarthy was, especially after Welch responded to one of his cross-examinations with:
Cohn assisting the redbaiting Senator Joseph McCarthy (1954). image: courtesy NY Post"Until this moment, Senator, I think I never really gauged your cruelty or your recklessness... Let us not assassinate this lad further, Senator. You have done enough. Have you no sense of decency?”
That resulted in McCarthy’s public approval rating dropping. He was also censured by the Senate. As for Cohn, he was criticized for "unduly persistent or aggressive efforts" on behalf of Shine. He turned in his resignation and many Americans considered Cohn a disgrace; nonetheless, he managed to reinvent his career.
He eventually reappeared as a controversial celebrity who dressed fashionably, drove a Rolls Royce, hung out with the “right people” at New York’s coolest night clubs and restaurants, and tossed impressive parties where the guests included well-known celebrities, including the mayor of New York, Ed Koch, and avant-garde artist Andy Warhol.
As an attorney he created a reputation for being a cutthroat trial lawyer who went all out to win for his clients.
Although Cohn can be seen as a disgusting and easy-to-hate character from the past, given his influence on Donald Trump—the film's title is a quote from Trump—re-examining Cohn provides an important understanding of the techniques both used to manipulate society. That knowledge explains Trump’s unusual behavior and it may influence your vote in 2020
The two men met in a bar in 1973. At that time, Trump needed an aggressive lawyer because he was being sued by the US government for not renting apartments to blacks in a large complex he and his father owned in Coney Island. Donald wanted to fight the charges rather than take the advice of his lawyers, which was to admit guilt and settle the matter quickly.
Their meeting in the club was the beginning of a close friendship that would last until Cohn died in 1986.
Trump not only took Cohn’s advice and fought the case in court, he countersued for $100 million. Roy convinced Donald that any publicity was good publicity, even if it was negative, especially if your identity is one of an aggressive street fighter. Donald loved this advice and the publicity it created, even though a judge tossed out his countersuit.
Cohn and Trump enjoy some good times, undoubtedly meaning someone other than them got screwed. image: courtesy unknown As for the original civil rights discrimination case, it was settled in 1975 with the Trumps agreeing to make a certain number of apartments available to minority renters. Donald was pleased that he didn’t have to admit guilt. Predictably, Trump was back in court in 1978 for not living up to the terms of the agreement.
One reason the film is important today is that it discusses some of Cohn’s tricks of the trade, skills he passed on to Trump. Cohn showed him how to exploit power and instill fear. He taught ways to intimidate and manipulate opponents. Trump learned the value of making threats to gain media attention and to bully with lots of bluster when reporters were present.
Although Cohn was known for being quick to threaten people weaker than himself with lawsuits, Trump became the ultimate bully. Trump now has enough bravado to threaten North Korea with nuclear bombs and to take on China with a trade war, all the while claiming he is close friends with the leaders of those countries.
Cohn is credited with teaching Donald several other nasty ways to go after perceived enemies. They include vindictive attacks, questioning a person’s loyalty or smearing them with nasty rumors. Cohn stressed that if they attack you, hit back even harder.
Cohn was adamant about never apologizing, admitting mistakes and the need to be convincing when citing unfounded facts or making accusations. Indeed, Cohn was a master at bluffing and inventing fake facts.
Trump, in turn, has become well-known for fake news and bluffing people in business deals, when he ran for president and now as our commander-in-chief. One propaganda trick that Trump learned directly from Roy, and which delights his supporters to no end, is to insult and attack verbally your opponents, starting with unflattering nicknames.
Trump called people on his TV show “pathetic and losers.” As a candidate he became more creative in his name-calling and as president he continues to expand his insulting language, key words and dog whistles.
The film goes on to reveal lots more about Cohn, his so-called friends and a few of his detractors. There are film clips and photographs of him with the rich and famous as well as infamous individuals.
Barbara Walters was a loyal friend ever since Roy got her father out of a legal jam. Ronald and Nancy Reagan were pals after he helped Reagan win the state of New York in his 1980 run for president.
Filmmaker Matt Tyrnauer, who has also done the docs 'Valentino: The Last Emperor' (2008) and 'Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood' (2017), as well as award-winning journalism. image: courtesy M. TyrnauerLess A-list were Tony Salerno, Carmine Galante and John Gotti, among the top Mafia dons that trusted Roy to fight for them in court.
Matt Tyrnauer’s masterful film amazes right until the end. Cohn’s fall from grace in the early 1980s is full of surprises, topped with the story of his final blow. Although Cohn always insisted he was heterosexual, including in a national TV appearance right before his death, he contracted AIDS early in the epidemic, at a time when there was no effective treatment for it.
Most of his “friends” abandoned him after they got the news. Trump dropped him at first but ended up providing hotel accommodations and other support. The Reagans, also in denial about AIDS, arranged for him to get preferential treatment at the National Institute of Health near Washington, DC. When he died in 1986, his obituaries noted his final deception: the cause of death was not listed as AIDS.
“Where’s My Roy Cohn?” is a crucial documentary for understanding current affairs. It opens on October 18th at Landmark’s Clay Theatre in San Francisco, at Landmark’s Shattuck Cinemas in Berkeley and at Cinemark’s Century Regency in San Rafael. In Sacramento, it opens October 25th at the Tower Theatre in Sacramento and in Santa Cruz at Landmark’s Nickelodeon Theatre on November 1st.
Karl F. Cohen—who decided to add his middle initial to distinguish himself from the Russian Karl Cohen, who tried to assassinate the Czar in the mid-19th century—is an animator, educator and director of the local chapter of the International Animation Society and can be reached . Posted on Sep 04, 2019 - 04:06 PM
by Karl F. Cohen
Cutthroat lawyer Roy Cohn (rt) and developer Donald Trump, at a press conference concerning the civil rights suit against Trump, circa 1978. image: courtesy NY TimesCohn was an evil SOB. Esquire Magazine once called him “the toughest, meanest, vilest lawyer in America,” while The New Yorker identified him as “the original Donald Trump.”
He was the lawyer who helped execute the Rosenbergs in 1953 and was seen on national TV, the following year, advising Senator Joseph McCarthy as he browbeat witnesses in his search for alleged communists in the US Army. Later dubious accomplishments include defending some of the Mafia’s biggest godfathers and mentoring Donald Trump, as noted in the stellar new documentary “Where’s My Roy Cohn?” by Matt Tyrnauer.
Tyrnauer is a writer/director and award-winning journalist whose notable previous documentaries include "Valentino: The Last Emperor" (2008), short-listed for an Academy Award, "Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood" (2017), covering sex in tinsel town, and "Citizen Jane: Battle for the City" (2016), on Jane Jacobs's heroic defense of historic New York against urban developer Robert Moses.
“Where’s My Roy Cohn?”, which opens in October, does an admiral job of moving quickly through his life and exposing in full detail who he was, starting with his privileged childhood and the “values” instilled by his parents.
His father was a shyster lawyer who not only married his mother for her money but stipulated that one of her prominent relatives arrange for him to be appointed a judge.
Nevertheless, his mother was extremely domineering and Roy was very close to her. A Cohn cousin shares a story about how she, a proper upper class society woman, chose to not upset her guests one year at a Passover Seder dinner. When her maid failed to serve dinner, given she had suddenly keeled over dead, Mother Cohn had the corpse shoved under the kitchen table. No need to spoil a good party.
After Roy graduated from Columbia University’s Law School, he used his family connections to get hired as a prosecutor. One of his cases was the 1951 trial of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg who were accused of passing atomic bomb secrets to the Soviet Union.
Cohn’s direct examination of Ethel’s brother, David Greenglass, produced the testimony needed to convict her, even though she was only a secondary player and probably could have gotten off. Roy’s “friends” recall how pleased he was when she was electrocuted in Sing Sing in 1953.
The aggressive unruly Cohn believed no publicity was bad publicity, especially when attempting to intimidate enemies. image: courtesy Daily BeastHe said his sister Ethel was at a meeting where she took notes and later typed them up. Normally that isn’t enough to electrocute someone, but Cohn is said to have given his personal recommendation that she receive the death penalty.
Impressed with Roy’s work in the Rosenberg case, FBI head J. Edgar Hoover recommended him for a job with Senator Joseph McCarthy. Roy worked for the senator in several investigations, including the so-called “Lavender Scare.”
In 1953, Eisenhower banned homosexuals from being government employees, especially those working abroad for the State Department, where they might be entrapped into a blackmail situation and become security risks. The film goes on to expose the irony of this policy as Hoover was a crossdresser and Cohn a homosexual living in the closet but being a Judas, prosecuting men whose lifestyle was similar to his.
Roy went on to play a major role in the Army-McCarthy Hearings in 1954, after McCarthy accused the Army of being soft on communism. During 36 days of televised hearings, Roy, in his capacity of chief council, was constantly seen advising McCarthy, who was seated next to him. Although TV viewers could not hear their private discussions, they must have assumed the two men shared common beliefs and attitudes.
To complicate matters, one reason for the hearings was that McCarthy was outraged that one of his former aides, G. David Shine, didn’t receive preferential treatment when he was drafted into the Army. During the hearings, the Army accused Cohn, who also happened to be a close friend of Shine, of supporting the request for his special treatment, such as making him an officer.
As the hearings progressed the Army’s chief council, Joseph Welch, discredited McCarthy over submitting doctored photographs as evidence. The public was also surprised to see what an unpleasant and aggressive bully McCarthy was, especially after Welch responded to one of his cross-examinations with:
Cohn assisting the redbaiting Senator Joseph McCarthy (1954). image: courtesy NY PostThat resulted in McCarthy’s public approval rating dropping. He was also censured by the Senate. As for Cohn, he was criticized for "unduly persistent or aggressive efforts" on behalf of Shine. He turned in his resignation and many Americans considered Cohn a disgrace; nonetheless, he managed to reinvent his career.
He eventually reappeared as a controversial celebrity who dressed fashionably, drove a Rolls Royce, hung out with the “right people” at New York’s coolest night clubs and restaurants, and tossed impressive parties where the guests included well-known celebrities, including the mayor of New York, Ed Koch, and avant-garde artist Andy Warhol.
As an attorney he created a reputation for being a cutthroat trial lawyer who went all out to win for his clients.
Although Cohn can be seen as a disgusting and easy-to-hate character from the past, given his influence on Donald Trump—the film's title is a quote from Trump—re-examining Cohn provides an important understanding of the techniques both used to manipulate society. That knowledge explains Trump’s unusual behavior and it may influence your vote in 2020
The two men met in a bar in 1973. At that time, Trump needed an aggressive lawyer because he was being sued by the US government for not renting apartments to blacks in a large complex he and his father owned in Coney Island. Donald wanted to fight the charges rather than take the advice of his lawyers, which was to admit guilt and settle the matter quickly.
Their meeting in the club was the beginning of a close friendship that would last until Cohn died in 1986.
Trump not only took Cohn’s advice and fought the case in court, he countersued for $100 million. Roy convinced Donald that any publicity was good publicity, even if it was negative, especially if your identity is one of an aggressive street fighter. Donald loved this advice and the publicity it created, even though a judge tossed out his countersuit.
Cohn and Trump enjoy some good times, undoubtedly meaning someone other than them got screwed. image: courtesy unknown One reason the film is important today is that it discusses some of Cohn’s tricks of the trade, skills he passed on to Trump. Cohn showed him how to exploit power and instill fear. He taught ways to intimidate and manipulate opponents. Trump learned the value of making threats to gain media attention and to bully with lots of bluster when reporters were present.
Although Cohn was known for being quick to threaten people weaker than himself with lawsuits, Trump became the ultimate bully. Trump now has enough bravado to threaten North Korea with nuclear bombs and to take on China with a trade war, all the while claiming he is close friends with the leaders of those countries.
Cohn is credited with teaching Donald several other nasty ways to go after perceived enemies. They include vindictive attacks, questioning a person’s loyalty or smearing them with nasty rumors. Cohn stressed that if they attack you, hit back even harder.
Cohn was adamant about never apologizing, admitting mistakes and the need to be convincing when citing unfounded facts or making accusations. Indeed, Cohn was a master at bluffing and inventing fake facts.
Trump, in turn, has become well-known for fake news and bluffing people in business deals, when he ran for president and now as our commander-in-chief. One propaganda trick that Trump learned directly from Roy, and which delights his supporters to no end, is to insult and attack verbally your opponents, starting with unflattering nicknames.
Trump called people on his TV show “pathetic and losers.” As a candidate he became more creative in his name-calling and as president he continues to expand his insulting language, key words and dog whistles.
The film goes on to reveal lots more about Cohn, his so-called friends and a few of his detractors. There are film clips and photographs of him with the rich and famous as well as infamous individuals.
Barbara Walters was a loyal friend ever since Roy got her father out of a legal jam. Ronald and Nancy Reagan were pals after he helped Reagan win the state of New York in his 1980 run for president.
Filmmaker Matt Tyrnauer, who has also done the docs 'Valentino: The Last Emperor' (2008) and 'Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood' (2017), as well as award-winning journalism. image: courtesy M. TyrnauerMatt Tyrnauer’s masterful film amazes right until the end. Cohn’s fall from grace in the early 1980s is full of surprises, topped with the story of his final blow. Although Cohn always insisted he was heterosexual, including in a national TV appearance right before his death, he contracted AIDS early in the epidemic, at a time when there was no effective treatment for it.
Most of his “friends” abandoned him after they got the news. Trump dropped him at first but ended up providing hotel accommodations and other support. The Reagans, also in denial about AIDS, arranged for him to get preferential treatment at the National Institute of Health near Washington, DC. When he died in 1986, his obituaries noted his final deception: the cause of death was not listed as AIDS.
“Where’s My Roy Cohn?” is a crucial documentary for understanding current affairs. It opens on October 18th at Landmark’s Clay Theatre in San Francisco, at Landmark’s Shattuck Cinemas in Berkeley and at Cinemark’s Century Regency in San Rafael. In Sacramento, it opens October 25th at the Tower Theatre in Sacramento and in Santa Cruz at Landmark’s Nickelodeon Theatre on November 1st.
Karl F. Cohen—who decided to add his middle initial to distinguish himself from the Russian Karl Cohen, who tried to assassinate the Czar in the mid-19th century—is an animator, educator and director of the local chapter of the International Animation Society and can be reached . Posted on Sep 04, 2019 - 04:06 PM
