by Mike Smith I owe Donald Trump an apology. Not for saying in last week’s column that Mr Trump is acting like a weenie when he attacks US Senator John McCain’s heroism. Rather, this is a general apology — just in case — because apparently if you say or write anything critical of Mr Trump you may get a response from his lawyer and confidant, Michael Cohen, that goes something like this:
“I will make sure that you and I meet one day while we’re in the courthouse. And I will take you for every penny you still don’t have …”
“… So I’m warning you, tread very (expletive)-ing lightly, because what I’m going to do to you is going to be (expletive)-ing disgusting …”
“… I’m going to mess your life up … for as long as you’re on this (expletive)-ing planet … you’re going to have judgments against you, so much money, you’ll never know how to get out from underneath it …”
This was Mr Cohen’s response to a reporter’s questions at the Daily Beast, an online newspaper.
There’s a word to describe this type of behavior: Thuggish.
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It seems unfathomable that this bullying tactic came from the lawyer of a billionaire businessman who is running for president, but it did. This event could be illustrative of how Trump would handle political adversaries and the press as president. The New York Bar Association might also have something to say about Mr. Cohen’s unprofessional behavior.
Billionaires can intimidate those that disagree with them. They have the financial resources to crush anyone who doesn’t have similar resources to fight back. They can use legal proceeding after legal proceeding against those that voice criticism — even if the charges are without merit — until it ultimately drains bank accounts. Trump — and his henchman, Mr. Cohen — understand this tactic, fully.
But responsible billionaires don’t behave this way because they know just how dangerous it is for the country. When one person can use their personal wealth and resources to intimidate and threaten reporters with financial ruin while attempting to become president, it’s a problem for everyone. These tactics move the nation toward an oligarchy — where a small number of wealthy and powerful elites control the lives of the rest of us. Historically, oligarchies trend toward authoritarian and eventually totalitarian regimes.
The American people deserve, and sustaining our democratic republic requires, critical analysis of positions, words and backgrounds of all candidates. This is the role of the media. Yet, MSNBC has dismal ratings partly because large segments of viewers tune it out given its unquestioning support of anything liberal. Although Fox News hasn’t suffered the same ratings decline as other cable news networks — in fact they have seen increased viewership — they have been far too soft on Trump and his tactics, especially Howard Kurtz, their media critic, who barely lifted an eyebrow over Michael Cohen’s grotesque threats. And conservative talk radio frequently forgets about Trump’s inconsistent positions on supporting conservative causes or conservative candidates. So maybe part of the problem isn’t Trump — maybe it’s a national media that’s being minimized because of unquestioning loyalty to a political philosophy or letting unfavorable events about a particular candidate go unreported or underreported?
Nevertheless, just in case, I am apologizing for anything I have written, or may write, about Mr Trump. Not because it’s unfair or the criticism is unwarranted, but because Mr Cohen works for a billionaire, and he can ruin a person’s life.
But mostly, of course, this apology is made to prove a point. Left unchecked Michael Cohen’s tactics of threatening reporters and media outlets with financial ruin — and presumably anybody else that may write something critical of his boss — means that America’s ideals and the liberties they confer are at risk.
Mike Smith was the Secretary of Administration under former Governor James Douglas. He is a political analyst for WCAX-TV and WVMT radio and is a regular contributor to The Times Argus and Vermont Business Magazine.