Teflon Don 2.0: How Roy Cohn’s Playbook Created Trump’s Mafia State
Donald Trump’s second presidency is not merely a continuation of his first; it signifies the consolidation of power through a system rooted in loyalty, intimidation, and personal gain. While his initial term established the foundation for a Mafia-esque approach to governance, his re-election has entrenched the United States into a fully operational protection racket. In this paradigm, allegiance is rewarded, dissent is punished, and the mechanisms of democracy are manipulated to serve the interests of those in power.
This evolution can be traced back to the influence of Roy Cohn, Trump’s former lawyer and mentor, who mastered the art of aggressive counterattack, narrative control, and unwavering denial of wrongdoing. As George Packer observed, Cohn and Trump exemplify a political style characterised by a “cold will to power that carries a threat of murder without shame” (Packer, 2019). Cohn, notorious for his role during the McCarthy era and his legal representation of underworld figures, saw in Trump a protégé eager to adopt his ruthless tactics. Together, they navigated legal challenges by counterattacking, fabricating charges, and steadfastly refusing to admit fault, a strategy that has become a hallmark of Trump’s political modus operandi.
Roy Cohn: The Architect of Aggressive Political Warfare
Roy Cohn’s career serves as a blueprint for understanding the aggressive and often unscrupulous strategies employed in certain political spheres. Rising to prominence as chief counsel to Senator Joseph McCarthy during the 1950s, Cohn was instrumental in the anti-communist crusades that defined the era. His legal acumen extended beyond politics into the criminal underworld, where he represented figures such as Anthony “Fat Tony” Salerno, boss of the Genovese crime family, Carmine Galante of the Bonanno family, and Paul Castellano of the Gambino family (Esquire, 2020).
Cohn’s approach to law was unorthodox; he viewed it as a tool for exerting control rather than a system of justice. His tactics involved overwhelming adversaries with relentless legal manoeuvres, media manipulation, and personal attacks. This methodology is exemplified in his defence strategy during a housing discrimination lawsuit against Trump. Instead of seeking a conventional legal resolution, Cohn advised Trump to counterattack and raise unfounded charges, a tactic that redefined the dispute on their terms. As Packer (2019) notes, “Trump became Cohn’s client and protégé. They won the case by not losing—by counterattacking, raising phony charges, admitting no wrong.”
Cohn’s personal and professional life was marred by controversy. In the weeks leading up to his death in 1986, he was disbarred for unethical conduct, including defrauding clients (BBC, 2024). Despite his disbarment and subsequent death, Cohn’s legacy endures, particularly in the political strategies employed by his most prominent protégé, Donald Trump.
Protection Racket Capitalism: The New American Order
In a traditional protection racket, entities are coerced into paying for security against threats, often from the very individuals offering the protection. Trump’s administration mirrors this structure, leveraging governmental power to reward loyalty and punish opposition.
• Corporate America: Businesses aligning with Trump’s policies receive favourable treatment. Conversely, those opposing or criticising the administration face regulatory hurdles, public denouncement, or exclusion from lucrative government contracts.
• State Governments: States supporting Trump’s agenda benefit from increased federal funding and policy leniency. In contrast, states governed by political adversaries encounter delayed aid, stringent regulatory enforcement, and public disparagement.
• International Relations: Foreign leaders have discerned that personal flattery and tangible offerings—such as business opportunities beneficial to Trump’s interests—can secure favourable diplomatic relations. Nations unwilling or unable to engage in such transactions often find themselves subjected to tariffs, sanctions, or diplomatic isolation.
This transactional approach to governance undermines established democratic norms, replacing them with a system where power is centralised, and dissent is systematically suppressed.
The Trump Syndicate: Loyalty Over Competence
The composition of Trump’s cabinet in his second term reflects a shift towards an inner circle resembling a syndicate, where loyalty supersedes expertise.
• Attorney General Pam Bondi: Confirmed by the Senate on February 4, 2025, Bondi, a steadfast Trump ally, oversees the Department of Justice. Her tenure has been marked by initiatives aligning the department’s priorities with the administration’s interests, including the formation of a task force to investigate alleged biases within federal agencies (Reuters, 2025).
• FBI Leadership: Kash Patel, appointed as FBI Director, and Dan Bongino, as Deputy Director, exemplify the administration’s preference for loyalists in critical positions. Their appointments suggest a potential shift in the bureau’s focus towards agendas favouring the administration (New York Post, 2025).
This consolidation of loyal individuals in key roles ensures that the administration’s directives are executed without internal opposition, effectively eroding the checks and balances integral to democratic governance.
The Revenge Presidency: Retaliation as Policy
A hallmark of both Mafia operations and the current administration is the emphasis on retribution against perceived adversaries.
• Media Relations: The exclusion of established news organisations, such as the Associated Press, from press briefings signifies an effort to control the narrative and marginalise critical voices.
• Legal Repercussions: The Department of Justice, under Bondi’s leadership, has initiated reviews and investigations into individuals and entities previously involved in prosecuting or investigating Trump, including law firms representing former Special Counsel Jack Smith (Reuters, 2025).
These actions foster a climate of fear, deterring dissent and consolidating the administration’s authority through intimidation and punitive measures.
The Inevitable Downfall: Assessing the Damage
Historical precedents demonstrate that regimes operating on fear and coercion eventually face collapse. Authoritarian figures and syndicate-style leaders who, despite their apparent invincibility, ultimately fell from power. John Gotti, the original Teflon Don, ruled through fear, media spectacle, and unwavering loyalty—until his own organisation turned on him.
Every Mafia boss eventually meets his reckoning. However, the longer a crime syndicate remains in power, the more embedded its operations become in the fabric of society. The same is true of Trump’s administration. The second term has accelerated the erosion of institutional norms, beginning to transform the Department of Justice into a tool for retribution, attempting to turn the press into a controlled propaganda machine, and reshaping democracy into a transactional enterprise where loyalty is the currency of survival.
The critical question is: how much damage will be done before the downfall inevitably comes? The longer Trump operates his syndicate government, the more difficult it will be to restore the democratic institutions that once provided a semblance of balance. The erosion is already evident:
• The Judiciary: Judges are being pressured, their independence questioned, and their careers threatened. The courts, long seen as a safeguard against executive overreach, are being reshaped in ways that could outlast Trump himself.
• The Press: The barring of the Associated Press from briefings is a step toward state-controlled media. Once the free press is fully sidelined, the government dictates reality.
• Elections: State-level manoeuvres to restrict voting rights, combined with an emboldened Justice Department willing to intervene in state election disputes, threaten to undermine the fundamental principle of democratic transitions.
• Foreign Relations: America’s alliances now hinge not on long-term strategic interests, but on personal deals and flattery. The nation is no longer a global leader in democracy—it is a global transaction hub.
The immediate concern is not whether Trump will eventually fall—he will. The real issue is how much of the country he will take down with him. The more institutions are corrupted, the harder it will be to restore them. The more people internalise the idea that governance is about loyalty rather than competence, the more difficult it will be to shift back to a system based on law rather than personal vendettas.
When the House of Cards Falls
The downfall of a Mafia boss often comes from within—loyalists flipping, cracks forming, and the weight of corruption becoming too much to sustain. Trump’s second term has consolidated more power than his first, but it has also intensified the internal fractures within his own party, government agencies, and even his closest circles. The question is: Who will be the one to flip?
• Will disillusioned Republicans, weary of governing through fear, finally break ranks?
• Will a former loyalist, feeling slighted or under threat, turn informant in a desperate bid for survival?
• Will state governors, seeing the erosion of their authority, begin resisting federal overreach?
The longer Trump maintains control through a protection racket, the greater the risk of an eventual collapse. And when it comes, the repercussions will not be neatly contained. The social, legal, and political damage inflicted during his tenure will not vanish overnight.
The true test will be whether America’s democratic institutions—battered, bruised, and repurposed for authoritarian aims—can recover. Or whether, like a city under Mafia control for too long, the habits of corruption and fear will persist even after the Teflon Don is finally taken down.
Final Thoughts: The Lasting Impact of Roy Cohn’s Legacy
Roy Cohn taught Trump to never admit fault, to always attack, and to define the terms of the debate. Trump has perfected that lesson, wielding it on a scale that even Cohn could not have envisioned.
But Cohn’s own fate serves as a warning. In the end, he was abandoned, disbarred, and disgraced. The very people who once feared him turned away when he was no longer useful. Trump’s own trajectory is likely to follow a similar path. The moment he becomes a liability; his own syndicate may cast him aside.
Yet, the question remains: Even if Trump falls, will America be capable of rebuilding itself?
The Mafia doesn’t relinquish control willingly. It fights to the bitter end. The longer Trump remains in power, the more vicious the battle to remove him will be. And the cost of waiting may be higher than the country can afford.
References
BBC (2024) ‘Roy Cohn: The mysterious US lawyer who helped Donald Trump rise to power’, BBC Culture, 17 May. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20240517-roy-cohn-the-mysterious-us-lawyer-who-helped-donald-trump-rise-to-power (Accessed: 26 February 2025).
Esquire (2020) ‘How Roy Cohn Taught Donald Trump to Win’, Esquire, 12 October. Available at: https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a34360598/roy-cohn-trump-mentor/ (Accessed: 26 February 2025).
New York Post (2025) ‘Trump appoints Patel, Bongino to FBI leadership’, New York Post, 7 February. Available at: https://www.nypost.com(Accessed: 26 February 2025).
Packer, G. (2019) ‘The President and His Fixer’, The Atlantic, 3 October. Available at: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/10/roy-cohn-mafia-politics/599320/ (Accessed: 26 February 2025).
Reuters (2025) ‘Pam Bondi confirmed as U.S. Attorney General in narrow Senate vote’, Reuters, 4 February. Available at: https://www.reuters.com (Accessed: 26 February 2025).
Great article! Should be mandatory reading for Americans at least!