A new biography of Roy Cohn, the controversial 20th-century lawyer known for his role as chief counsel to Senator Joseph McCarthy, draws striking parallels between Cohn’s tactics and those employed by former President Donald Trump. Authored by Kai Bird and Susan Goldmark, the book traces how Cohn’s blend of aggression, loyalty to power, disregard for legal constraints, and political opportunism helped shape both McCarthyism and, ultimately, Trump’s approach to politics.
Cohn, who died in 1986, was an early legal advisor to Trump, representing the young real estate developer during allegations of racial discrimination in housing. Their connection was more than professional; Trump has been reported expressing admiration for Cohn, describing moments in his own career as ones that “Roy would love to see,” and lamenting the absence of Cohn’s guidance when he felt inadequately protected by political allies such as former Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
The biography highlights several key similarities between Cohn and Trump, starting with their reliance on established family influence—Cohn on his father, a New York judge, and Trump on his father Fred Trump’s wealth and connections. Both men cultivated public attention, using media and personal loyalty as tools to advance their interests. Cohn’s flamboyant self-promotion and penchant for stirring controversy set a blueprint that Trump later adopted, including a focus on spectacle, combative rhetoric, and an insistence on personal loyalty over institutional norms.
Bird’s book also details how Cohn mastered performative politics, projecting an image aligned with working-class interests while leading a privileged lifestyle. Both Cohn and Trump exhibited conspiratorial worldviews, labeling opponents as subversives or part of a “deep state,” and espoused nationalist, nativist ideas that prefigured the modern Republican Party’s turn away from multiculturalism, globalization, and established liberal values.
The authors argue that McCarthyism’s legacy—despite McCarthy’s eventual discrediting—persisted through figures like Cohn and has continued to influence American political culture, culminating in Trumpism. This lineage underscores how resentment, paranoia, and political theater have become ingrained features of U.S. politics. Bird also examines political calculations that allowed McCarthyism to endure, notably President Dwight Eisenhower’s refusal to directly confront McCarthy, a cautionary parallel to Republican leaders’ often measured responses to Trump’s provocations.
The book portrays Trump as having internalized Cohn’s modus operandi, from verbal styles to strategic thinking. Cohn’s maxim, “Don’t tell me the law. Tell me the judge,” encapsulated a willingness to bypass legal principles in favor of personal power—a trait mirrored in Trump’s rhetoric and governance. Both men were marked by persistent legal troubles and audits, illustrating a disregard for accountability that became a political asset.
While Cohn operated on the fringes of establishment power, the biography suggests that under Trump, Cohn’s anti-establishment tactics have become a dominant force in American political life, transforming the Republican Party and challenging traditional norms. Bird’s analysis raises questions about the longevity of this political approach, which thrives on division and grievance.
In a 1970s interview, Cohn declared he made his own rules, a statement that resonates in Trump’s expressed belief that his own morality and mind were the only constraints on his power. As the United States continues to grapple with this legacy, Bird’s work underscores how echoes of Cohn’s influence persist in the highest offices of American government today.