The man who shaped Trump: book sheds fresh light on ruthless Roy Cohn

Key Points:

• Kai Bird and Susan Goldmark have published "American Scoundrel," a biography of Roy Cohn, the influential New York mob lawyer who mentored Donald Trump and shaped his ruthless business and political tactics.
• Despite attempts to promote the book to conservative media figures, including Fox News hosts and Steve Bannon, the authors received little interest, with Joe Rogan declining after previewing the manuscript.
• Roy Cohn guided Trump in the 1970s and 1980s through aggressive real estate dealings, teaching him how to exploit organized crime ties, evade legal consequences, and manipulate narratives without admitting fault.
• Trump was aware of the book and spoke with Bird multiple times, showing mixed reactions ranging from frustration to a tentative willingness to promote it if the portrayal was fair.
• Cohn, a controversial figure linked to McCarthyism, closeted homosexuality, and unethical legal conduct, died of AIDS in 1986; despite rumors of abandonment, Trump maintained some contact and attended a farewell dinner shortly before Cohn's death.