How my odious cousin Roy Cohn was responsible for creating Donald Trump — and me

Written by a progressive Jew who hates both his cousin Roy Cohn and Trump.

How my odious cousin Roy Cohn was responsible for creating Donald Trump — and me

Forgive me if I’m cynical about humanity. I just stumbled into sunshine from the darkness of a screening of The Apprentice, the stunning fictional-yet-fairly-factual film about Donald Trump and his mentor Roy Cohn.

That’s Roy Marcus Cohn, my odious cousin.

These 120 minutes in the theater unearthed so many memories that now I’m reeling from PTCSD: Post Trump-Cohn Stress Disorder.

With a bit of artistic license, The Apprentice illuminates the truths that several documentaries have depicted. We see Roy molding Trump out of a lump of formless clay. We watch Trump wallow in Roy’s world of chicanery and bribery, bold-type gossip pages and bald-faced lies.

I’ve long thought of Trump as Roy’s acolyte, his disciple. But “The Apprentice?” Ah. Nice wordplay.

Let’s pause for a personal disclaimer-plus-trigger warning.

Roy and I shared one trait: devotion to the bubbly, optimistic Libby Marcus — my Grandma Libby, Roy’s Aunt Libby. Libby was staunchly loyal to family. No matter if you were an awkward dork (me) or an indicted perjurer (Roy) or a disbarred attorney (Roy) or a possible murderer (Roy). Or even if the IRS slapped liens on your property for evading millions of dollars of taxes (Roy again).

It’s easy to loathe everything Roy represented: The self-hating homophobia. The peculiar antisemitic behavior of a Jewish person a couple of generations removed from the shtetl. The flag-waving, faux family-values conservatism, drenched in hypocrisy.

Speaking of hypocrites: In the heady heyday of the 1980s, I briefly met The Donald several times at Cousin Roy’s birthday parties. That was when the self-proclaimed Real Estate Tycoon was overleveraging, putting himself on the path to bankruptcy. He was bamboozling bankers and journalists — as Roy manipulated him like a marionette.

Since childhood, I’ve known that I owe my existence to Roy Marcus Cohn. More about that in a moment.

The real Roy

If you finished high school after 1980, you might not comprehend the sweep of Roy Cohn’s pernicious, perfidious four-decade-long career. Here’s the SparkNotes version (skip this section if you know why Roy’s shenanigans provoked Joseph Welch to say, “Have you no sense of decency, Sir?”).

Roy was an obnoxious wunderkind. He graduated from Columbia Law School at age 20. His mother Dora Marcus Cohn was a helicopter mother before anyone knew the term. She was so protective of her only son that she rented a cabin down the road when Roy went to sleepaway camp. Roy’s father Al Cohn, a judge, introduced Roy to New York’s dealmakers.

This country will never again have an unelected person who wields so much influence for so many years on politics and the media. Never.

Roy Marcus Cohn with his beloved aunt Libby Marcus (grandmother of David L. Marcus) on his yacht Defiance, which mysteriously sank off the Florida coast in 1973. Courtesy of David L. Marcus

In the 1950s, Roy was a prosecutor in New York who sent Julius and Ethel Rosenberg to the electric chair on overhyped espionage charges (Roy revealed that he made ex parte — illegal — calls to the judge). Then, in D.C., Roy was chief counsel to the drunk demagogue Senator Joseph McCarthy. They destroyed lives and careers while persecuting so-called “Communists and homosexuals.”

Roy went too far: He pushed that Wisconsin Weirdo to take on the U.S. Army in the first Congressional hearings to be televised live. McCarthy died in ignominy. Somehow, Roy reinvented himself. Back in New York, he was the attorney-consigliere to Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, ultraconservative Francis Cardinal Spellman and Mob boss Anthony “Fat Tony” Salerno.

Roy befriended Republican bagman Roger Stone and helped elect Ronald Reagan. Soon after, Roy’s pal Rupert Murdoch got the Reagan administration’s blessing as he amassed the television stations that became Fox News.

Jeremy Strong and Sebastian Stan star as Roy Cohn and Donald Trump in ‘The Apprentice.’ Courtesy of Briarcliff Entertainment

As The Apprentice opens in 1973, Roy meets dimwit Donald (played convincingly by Sebastian Stan). The U.S. Justice Department is suing the Trump Organization, run by Donald and his father Fred, for refusing to rent apartments to Black tenants.

The film gets it right: Other attorneys advised the Trumps to quietly pay a fine and settle. But not Roy. He goaded Trump to countersue the government for $100 million. Roy shared his three golden rules with Donald: Attack, attack, attack. Deny everything. And “no matter what happens, never admit defeat.”

Sound familiar 50 years later?

Another Roy-ism: “Don’t tell me what the law is, tell me who the  judge is.”

Hello, Judge Aileen Cannon!

Seeing evil up close

All happy families are alike; every dysfunctional family has its own tragic history. My grandfather Bernard Marcus — Roy’s uncle — was president of a thriving bank in the Roaring Twenties. But in the Great Crash of 1929, the WASP  bankers helped each other, making Bernie a scapegoat.

Oddly, Bernie and his business partner Saul Singer were the only ones convicted of wrongdoing amid that wave of bank failures. The two Jewish guys. I’m not paranoid (about this subject, anyway). You can read economists such as Milton Friedman, who argued that the establishment financiers resented the Jewish interloper.

In the early 1930s, young Roy visited his Uncle Bernie in  the maximum-security Sing Sing prison. The experience shook Roy. He spent the rest of his life railing against “the establishment,” even after he became the establishment. …

Continue reading here.

8 replies
  1. Wade Smith
    Wade Smith says:

    Cohn wrote a bland book defending McCarthy’s fight for America against subversion in government, but his antics with his better-looking friend Schine did the cause little good, and he ended up as a gay club racketeer. However, McCarthy did not die in ignominy, but was given a solemn funeral with honor guards from veteran associations. He liked a drink, as did Churchill. He lost his temper when witnesses changed their stories. He has been subjected to constant posthumous vilification. But he was on the right track, as we now know to our regret.

  2. Rudolf
    Rudolf says:

    You can recognize the guileless lovability of these “personalities” (“survivor”) at first glance. Anyone who even dares to question this is clearly an anti-Semite and should be silenced once and for all! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syd_Einfeld

    https://www.perplexity.ai/search/is-it-true-that-syd-einfeld-wa-Qa4Tz3T_ScW7tKo1A.O1ig

    Is it true that Syd Einfeld was responsible for the liberalization of Australia’s immigration law?
    Sources
    Answer
    Syd Einfeld played a significant role in liberalizing Australia’s immigration policy, particularly in relation to Jewish refugees after World War II. While it may be an overstatement to say he was solely responsible, he is widely credited with driving important changes:
    Einfeld’s Impact on Immigration Policy
    Syd Einfeld is recognized for his efforts in changing Australia’s immigration policy to provide refuge for Holocaust survivors1. As a result of his work:
    Australia accepted more refugees per capita than any other country in the world after World War II1.
    Australia took in more Jewish refugees than any country except Israel1.
    Advocacy and Leadership
    Einfeld’s influence on immigration policy stemmed from his leadership roles and advocacy efforts:
    He was elected to the Board of the Australian Jewish Welfare Society in 19481.
    He served as President of the Australian Jewish Welfare and Relief Societies for 25 years, starting in 19521.
    Einfeld repeatedly visited Canberra to lobby the Federal government on issues affecting Jewish refugees, including the liberalization of immigration policy3.
    Political Career
    Einfeld’s work on immigration policy extended into his political career:
    He was elected to the Australian House of Representatives in 1961 as a Labor member1.
    Later, he served in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1965 to 19841.
    While Syd Einfeld was not solely responsible for liberalizing Australia’s immigration law, he is widely recognized as a key figure who significantly influenced the country’s post-World War II immigration policies, particularly in relation to Jewish refugees and Holocaust survivors.

    cambridge.org

    cambridge.org

    thinkswap.com

    cambridge.org
    academia.edu
    thinkswap.com
    View More
    What impact has his influence had on immigration to Australia today?
    Sources
    abc.net.au favicon
    homeaffairs.gov.au favicon
    cityhub.com.au favicon
    refugeecouncil.org.au favicon
    alamy.com favicon
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    Answer
    While Syd Einfeld’s influence on Australia’s immigration policy was significant in the post-World War II era, his direct impact on current immigration policies is less pronounced. However, his legacy has contributed to shaping Australia’s approach to humanitarian migration and multiculturalism:
    Long-term Effects
    Humanitarian Program: Einfeld’s efforts to provide refuge for Holocaust survivors helped establish Australia’s commitment to humanitarian migration. Today, Australia continues to have a dedicated Humanitarian Program, accepting refugees and those in humanitarian need3.
    Multicultural Society: By advocating for Jewish refugees, Einfeld contributed to the diversification of Australia’s population. This laid groundwork for the multicultural society that Australia prides itself on today.
    Current Immigration System
    While Einfeld’s direct influence has waned over time, Australia’s current immigration system reflects some of the principles he championed:
    Skilled Migration: Australia’s immigration program now heavily focuses on attracting skilled migrants to meet economic needs. This shift began in the early 2000s with changes to encourage international students to become permanent residents2.
    Employer-Driven Approach: The current system emphasizes employer sponsorship and work experience as pathways to permanent residency. This reflects a move towards an employer-driven migration program2.
    Temporary to Permanent Pathways: Australia now offers various temporary visas with potential pathways to permanent residency, a concept that evolved from earlier policies encouraging skilled migrants to settle permanently2.
    Ongoing Challenges
    Despite Einfeld’s legacy of compassion towards refugees, Australia’s current approach to asylum seekers, particularly those arriving by boat, has been controversial. The focus has shifted more towards economic migration and skills shortages rather than humanitarian concerns.
    While Syd Einfeld’s direct influence on today’s immigration policies may have diminished, his efforts in the post-war period helped establish Australia as a multicultural nation open to immigration. This foundation continues to shape Australia’s identity, even as specific policies and priorities have evolved over time.
    Were there other Jewish personalities like him who contributed to the multiculturalization of Australia and its liberal immigration practices?
    Sources
    thejewishindependent.com.au favicon
    en.wikipedia.org favicon
    jewishcouncil.com.au favicon
    adb.anu.edu.au favicon
    View 5 more
    Answer
    While Syd Einfeld played a significant role, several other Jewish personalities also contributed to Australia’s multiculturalization and liberal immigration practices:
    Key Jewish Contributors
    Al Grassby: Though not Jewish himself, Grassby worked closely with Jewish community leaders. As Minister for Immigration under Gough Whitlam, he was instrumental in establishing ethnic broadcasting stations and promoting multiculturalism2.
    Frank Lowy: A Holocaust survivor who became a prominent businessman. He has been an advocate for multiculturalism and has supported various initiatives promoting diversity in Australia3.
    Ernie Friedlander OAM: A Hungarian ghetto survivor who became a tireless worker for an Australian society free of prejudice. He chairs the Education Task Force of the Alfred Dreyfus Anti-Defamation Unit of B’nai B’rith3.
    Vic Alhadeff: As CEO of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, he has been an advocate for social harmony and inclusion, working to combat antisemitism and other forms of racism3.
    Community Organizations
    Several Jewish community organizations have also played crucial roles:
    Australian Jewish Welfare Society: Einfeld was elected to its board in 1948, and it was instrumental in assisting Jewish refugees5.
    Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ): This organization, of which Einfeld was president multiple times, has been influential in representing Jewish interests and promoting multiculturalism4.
    New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies: This organization has been active in promoting interfaith dialogue and combating racism4.
    Impact on Australian Society
    The efforts of these individuals and organizations have contributed to:
    Acceptance of refugees: Australia accepted more refugees per capita than any other country after World War II, largely due to the efforts of Jewish community leaders5.
    Multicultural policies: The push for multiculturalism in the 1970s was supported by many in the Jewish community, who saw it as a way to promote tolerance and diversity2.
    Anti-discrimination efforts: Many Jewish leaders have been at the forefront of combating racism and promoting social inclusion3.
    While Syd Einfeld was a key figure, the broader Jewish community in Australia has played a significant role in shaping the country’s approach to multiculturalism and immigration, often drawing on their own experiences as immigrants and refugees to advocate for more inclusive policies.

    • Wade Smith
      Wade Smith says:

      @ amberjack
      “Citizen Cohn” by Nicholas von Hoffman (2023) is a good start.
      On McCarthy, see the books by Stanton Evans and Ann Coulter.

  3. Michaela H.
    Michaela H. says:

    just a small note/reminder ref prenuptial agreement with Ivanka. I remember living in NY at the time when she inherited the landmark Plaza Hotel which she soon destroyed with her tacky taste…

  4. Joe
    Joe says:

    Roy Cohn is the original swamp monster. It would be nice if the Jews unscrupulously using the legal system to attack his ideological foes. It would nice if the unhinged lawyers, who know whose closet to subpoena for a skeleton or two were. Like a caged animal who would go after you with a suicidal bravado the minute the cage door was opened. like a tiny rabid dog that had caught a very large car because he can’t differentiate between a “Progressive and a Communist. He could be mercurial and unstable with penchant for buggery but if that demented pervert is using his nefarious nature to fight communism i could care less

  5. Shitting Bull
    Shitting Bull says:

    The particular significance of this article is its relevance to the defamation of Trump by Ali Abassi and Gabriel Sherman’s “Apprentice” movie, which makes the POTUS little more than the creature of Roy Cohn, the demonic Frankenstein to the Trump monster whom he taught dirty tricks, accoutred and invited to sex orgies.

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