Kai Bird on Roy Cohn, a Founding Father of Donald Trump’s America
Summary
David Remnick interviews historian Kai Bird about his biography *American Scoundrel*, which chronicles the life of Roy Cohn. Bird details Cohn’s ruthless rise from McCarthy’s chief counsel to a mob-connected lawyer who mentored Donald Trump. The discussion explores how Cohn’s unethical tactics, victimhood mentality, and defiance of norms profoundly shaped Trump’s political style and worldview.
Topics discussed
Sponsors and program introduction
Roy Cohn's legacy and influence on Donald Trump
Why Kai Bird chose to write about Roy Cohn
Kai Bird's bizarre phone interviews with Donald Trump
Roy Cohn's childhood and rise in New York
The Rosenberg case and Cohn's role as prosecutor
Cohn's rivalry with Robert F. Kennedy
Cohn and McCarthy's attacks on Eisenhower
The Army-McCarthy hearings and Cohn's downfall
Sponsors and mid-show break
Cohn's connections to the New York Mafia
How Trump and Cohn first met in 1973
Lessons Trump learned from Cohn's tactics
Cohn's sexuality and the Lavender Scare
Allegations of trafficking and abuse by Cohn
Cohn's help with Trump Tower and tax abatements
The end of Cohn and Trump's friendship
Shared politics and the 'dark side' of America
Credits and New Yorker games promotion
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