Columbia Law School

A new review in The Wall Street Journal examines "American Scoundrel," a biography chronicling Roy Cohn, the lawyer who served as Sen. Joseph McCarthy's fixer during the anti-communist hearings of the 1950s and later became a mentor to a young Donald Trump. The review focuses less on new revelations and more on how Cohn, a self-promoter throughout his life, continues to have his influence overstated by biographers and commentators decades after his death.

The piece situates Cohn within the broader history of McCarthyism, the Army-McCarthy hearings, and Cold War-era anti-communism, while noting parallels drawn by some to contemporary populist politics. The review is critical of tendencies toward hagiography in retelling Cohn's story, arguing that inflating his historical importance keeps a persistent myth alive rather than offering a clearer accounting of his actual role.