Trump Revealed: on Civil Rights
1973: sued for racial bias against black tenants
Phyllis Spiro, a white woman, went undercover in 1973 at Trump's Beach Haven. She told investigators that a building superintendent acknowledged to her "that he followed a racially discriminatory rental policy at the direction of his superiors, and that
there were only very few 'colored' tenants" at the complex. More than four decades later, Spiro said she and her fellow housing activists found "a constant pattern and practice of discrimination" at Trump buildings. Citing the experiences of
Spiro and others, the Justice Department announced one of the most significant racial bias cases of the era: USA v. Fred Trump & Donald Trump. On Oct. 15, 1973, the Justice Department said the Trumps had violated the law "by refusing to rent and
negotiate rentals with blacks, requiring different rental terms and conditions because of race, and misrepresenting that apartments were not available." Trump was livid, saying the charges were "absolutely ridiculous. We never have discriminated."
Source: Trump Revealed, by Michael Kranish & Mark Fisher, p. 56-7
Aug 23, 2016
1980s: personal lawyer gay & closeted & Trump kept secret
In the Fall of 1984, Roy Cohn fell ill, maintaining that he had liver cancer. But he was suffering from the effects of HIV infection. Trump had always known that Cohn was gay. Cohn was "invariably with some very good-looking young man,"
Trump wrote in his first book. "But Roy never talked about it. He just didn't like the image. He felt that to the average person, being gay was almost synonymous with being a wimp." If someone brought up gay rights,
Trump noted, "Roy was always the first one to speak out against them."As Cohn's health deteriorated, his unethical behavior as a lawyer caught up to him. A host of luminaries rose to defend Cohn's good character, including
Trump, returning to his friend's side and inviting him to visit Mar-a-Lago.
In 1986, Cohn was disbarred. He was fifty-nine. His friends held a memorial service for him. Trump attended, standing silently in the back.
Source: Trump Revealed, by Michael Kranish & Mark Fisher, p.111-2
Aug 23, 2016
Pushed town council to allow blacks & Jews into Mar-a-Lago
Appalled by Trump's ostentatious behavior at Mar-a-Lago, the Palm Beach town council handed him a list of restrictions it was imposing on membership. But Trump took his battle to the court of public opinion. His sent every member of the town council
copies of two classic movies about discrimination--Gentleman's Agreement, about a journalist who pretend to be Jewish to expose anti-Semitism, and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, about a white couple's reaction to their daughter's bringing home a black
fiance. The point was clear and painful: the town's political leaders for decades had condoned rules by which the established private clubs in town excluded Jews and blacks, and now they wanted to slap Trump with tough rules on his club, which was open
to anyone who could afford the fees. Council members insisted that their only concern was that Trump was turning a quiet stretch of beachfront into a noisy party. No matter: Trump's tactic worked. Over time, he got most of the restrictions lifted.
Source: Trump Revealed, by Michael Kranish & Mark Fisher, p.161-2
Aug 23, 2016
2000: extend Civil Rights Act to apply to gays and lesbians
[In 2000], Trump called himself a conservative but sounded like a liberal on many issues. In the Advocate, a gay-oriented newsmagazine, Trump took issue with how Buchanan talked about "Jews, blacks, gays, and Mexicans.
He wants to divide our country." Trump called himself a conciliator, saying he would extend the Civil Rights Act to include protections for lesbians and gays and allow them to serve openly in the military, repealing
Don't Ask, Don't Tell, the Clinton-era policy that had lifted a ban on gays in the military, but forbade them from talking about their orientation while in the service.
Although he had pulled out of the race, Trump's name remained on the Reform Party ballot in Michigan and California. He won both primaries.
Source: Trump Revealed, by Michael Kranish & Mark Fisher, p.285-7
Aug 23, 2016
Page last updated: Mar 19, 2019