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Trump Distances Himself from Lawyer's Comments on Marital Rape

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Donald Trump has disassociated himself from controversial comments on rape made by his lawyer, Michael Cohen, saying he did not speak for him. The comments were sparked by a resurfaced allegation from the late 1980s that Trump had raped his then-wife, Ivana. Trump stated that he disagreed with Cohen's comments, which were deemed as dismissive of marital rape laws. However, Trump also defended Cohen's spirited response to the allegations, despite being aware of the campaign's initial attempts to downplay Cohen's involvement.

Key Takeaways:

  • Michael Cohen, special counsel for the Trump Organization, threatened a reporter from the Daily Beast who had resurfaced allegations from the late 1980s that Trump had raped Ivana, stating "You're talking about the front-runner for the GOP, presidential candidate, as well as private individual who never raped anybody."
  • Cohen's comments sparked controversy due to their dismissive tone towards marital rape, which has been illegal in New York since 1984.
  • Trump defended Cohen's vociferous response, stating that he disagreed with his comments but understood his employee's anger towards the allegations.
  • The Trump campaign initially attempted to downplay Cohen's involvement, stating he was an employee of the Trump Organization and not part of the political team.
  • Ivana Trump issued a statement calling the Daily Beast story "entirely without merit" and expressing fondness for her ex-husband, who she believes would make an "incredible president."
  • Cohen issued an apology for his comments on rape, stating he was speaking for himself and not on behalf of Trump.
  • The Daily Beast characterized Cohen's statement as a "non-apology" and criticized his threatening behavior towards one of their reporters.

Statistics:

  • Marital rape laws have been on the books in New York since 1984 (Source: NY Times staff writer).
  • Trump and Ivana have three children together, as cited in Ivana's statement on the Daily Beast story.
  • The Daily Beast reported that Cohen's threats against one of their reporters included calling them an "idiot" and promising to take "every penny" (Source: Daily Beast).
  • Cohen is the special counsel for the Trump Organization, as stated by Trump's campaign (Source: Trump campaign statement).

Sources:

  • CNN
  • Trump campaign statement
  • Daily Beast
  • NYT
  • Ivana Trump statement

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