Michael Cohen, the president’s former lawyer and personal fixer, has accused Donald Trump of attacking Nelson Mandela following his death.
Cohen alleges in his new book, Disloyal, that the president made a number of attacks against the civil rights hero, who became the first black president of South Africa following the demise of the racist apartheid system.
Cohen writes that Mr Trump did not see Mandela as a “real leader — not the kind he respected", after he died in 2013. Mr Trump also allegedly praised the country’s apartheid-era rule.
Mandela, who served as South Africa’s first black president from 1994 to 1999, is a Nobel Peace Prize winner and is widely regarded as an icon of democracy and social justice.
“Mandela f—-ed the whole country up. Now it’s a s—-hole. F—- Mandela. He was no leader,” Mr Trump allegedly said, according to a copy of the book obtained by The Washington Post ahead of its publication date on Tuesday.
Cohen, a convicted felon, pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations and other crimes while working for Mr Trump. He was released from prison to serve out the rest of his sentence from his New York City home due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Cohen is a disgraced felon and disbarred lawyer, who lied to Congress. He has lost all credibility, and it's unsurprising to see his latest attempt to profit off of lies,” White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in a statement to The Independent regarding the accusations.
The Nelson Mandela Foundation responded to the alleged comments on Monday.
“We do not believe that leaders who conduct themselves in the way Mr Trump does are in a position to offer authoritative commentary on the life and work of Madiba,” the foundation said in a statement.
The organisation then pointed to a quote from the former president: “A good leader can engage in a debate frankly and thoroughly, knowing that at the end he and the other side must be closer, and thus emerge stronger. You don't have that idea when you are arrogant, superficial, and uninformed.
“We would recommend these words to Mr Trump for consideration,” the statement concluded.
The country’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) also reportedly responded to the comments. ANC spokesman Pule Mabe told Bloomberg in a statement on Tuesday: “All freedom-loving people of the world are appalled by these insults which come from a person who, himself, is not a model of competent leadership."
“President Nelson Mandela is an international icon, a revered freedom fighter, and a great leader who will be remembered and celebrated for centuries to come," they added.
