Donald Trump has always considered himself above the law. Much of his bravado comes from his mentor and father figure, the infamous lawyer of the McCarthy Era, Roy Cohn.
A man without ethics or empathy, Cohn could be counted on to always take the low road. He never admitted to being wrong, and invariably counterattacked when his misconduct was exposed. He worked tirelessly to get gays fired from their government positions, all the while being a closeted gay himself. He died of AIDS, after having been disbarred for unethical and unprofessional conduct.
Few international leaders have been influenced by a more conniving person than Cohn. Only Hitler had a worse gang of sycophants. Joseph Goebbels, the minister of German propaganda, considered lying to the public a form of art. Hermann Göring was notorious for his theft of art and jewelry, much of it stolen from Jewish victims. And Heinrich Himmler ran the SS, the group responsible for the “Final Solution.”
Surrounding oneself with liars, thieves and miscreants makes one vulnerable to making terrible decisions. Hitler tried to conquer the world in a mixture of racism and poor judgment. And it looks like Trump may do the same. He has threatened almost every U.S. ally with military invasions. He has sent his fleet of aircraft carriers around the world to prove his dominance and masculinity. From the genocide of the Palestinian people to the war crime of threatening other sovereign nations, Trump is a clear and present danger to life on Earth.
— Fred Nagel
Rhinebeck