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'American Scoundrel' traces Roy Cohn's playbook from McCarthyism to Trump

NPR | By Terry Gross

Published September 17, 2026 at 12:14 PM EDT

In Kai Bird's biography of Cohn, he looks at how the lawyer taught Trump how to deny, delay, attack, sue and countersue, never admit defeat, side-step paying bills and avoid a paper trail.

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Terry Gross

Terry Gross is the host and executive producer of NPR's Fresh Air.

See stories by Terry Gross

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