Michael Cohen's "Bad Dad" Claims Debunked: Turns Out Trump Attended All of His Children's Graduations
"You can't give up," Trump continued. "You are going to have times when you feel there's no light at the end of the tunnel. I had times like that and I had a choice: I could sit in the corner with my thumb in my mouth, or I could fight. My advice to you is: Punch like hell and don't take no for an answer" — DJT Keynote ‘Career Day’ Address
Last week, after his first day in court, Donald Trump walked into the hallway and told reporters that the "Biden trial" had denied his request to attend Barron's high school graduation. As a parent to a graduating senior, I took it personally. I found it heartbreaking that the court would deny him (and his son) this experience. Haters celebrated the blow, reveling in victory at any expense.
His assertion ignited a widely circulated claim propagated through Copypasta suggesting Trump had never actually been present at any of his other children's graduations. I posted the clip of Michael Cohen on the podcast validating the deadbeat dad claims without doing my research.
A few days later, I opened a missed message from Don Jr. contesting Cohen's claims. "He was at all of our graduations, both high school and college," Don Jr. wrote. Regarding Cohen, "How would he know? He started working years after we all had graduated. Just anything for attention at this point."
Don's defense led me to search for proof. In the hunt, I came across an article published on the 22nd by Snopes, providing documented evidence that Trump was, in fact, present at each of his children's high school and college graduations, "according to contemporaneous reports and the recollections of other attendees."
“I find it not just comical, right, but I find it insulting that that’s the big issue,” Cohen said on the MeidasTouch “Political Beatdown” podcast, noting he had to miss major life events while he was serving time in prison.
“I missed …. my 25th anniversary and my wife’s 50th birthday, because I was in Otisville in part because of things that I had done at the direction of and for the benefit of Donald Trump,” he said.
“So before I start shedding a tear for him, for Baron and I’m sure Melania is extremely excited he’s not going to be there,” Cohen said. “Rest assured … I’m not losing any sleep, nor am I going to shed a tear that Trump can’t go to Barron’s graduation.”
In her memoir, Ivana, wrote about school events, "my rule was that someone — me, Donald, the nannies, my parents, or a combination — had to be at every one."
Facts Matter
Outside of political concerns, claims that Trump skipped his kids' graduations are damaging. It suggests his priorities are morally askew, that his children aren't important enough for him to pull himself away from business to celebrate their milestones. The kind of thing that unjustly shifts people's opinions based on petty lies the media is resistant to question or debunk.
The revelation bothered my husband, which means it bothered a lot of other people who watched the video clip, too. Mike called after my story posted. "I can't believe Trump would miss their graduations," he said, "It just doesn't seem like him." Years ago, during our fights about Trump, he would defend him as a "good dad." His point was that he could not possibly be the monster I claimed him to be because his kids all adored him.
He was relieved to learn about the lie.
DETAILED FACT CHECK VIA SNOPES.COM
Don Jr.
He attended a private Pennsylvania boarding school named The Hill School and graduated in May 1996. A “widely syndicated May 1996 column” shows that Trump was a speaker for the school's Career Day that spring. His speech below ringers even truer today.
Don Jr. graduated from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School in 2000. Trump's attendance was noted by the Philadelphia Inquirer:
Ivanka Trump
Ivanka Trump went to The Choate School for high school — a private boarding school in Connecticut. Trump was there.
Ivanka Trump graduated from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School in May 2004. The Philadelphia Daily News reported on Donald Trump's attendance at this graduation:
Eric Trump
Like Don Jr., Eric Trump attended The Hill School, graduating in 2002. Trump's attendance at this graduation ceremony was described in 2017 in a City & State New York report about Eric Trump's life:
Eric Trump went to Georgetown University, graduating in 2006. Trump attended this ceremony as well, according to a wire report published in a variety of newspapers:
Tiffany Trump
Tiffany Trump attended the private Viewpoint School in Los Angeles, graduating in 2012. In a Los Angeles Times opinion piece published in November 2016, a classmate recalled Trump's attendance at the graduation:
Tiffany Trump also graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, receiving her degree in May 2016. Her graduation, occurring during her father's 2016 presidential run, was covered widely by the press, including this report from Yahoo News:
Thanks for setting the record straight. Whoever came up with the term “Trump Derangement Syndrome “ nailed it. #MAGA
At this point it's obvious that Democrats aren't so much concerned with winning as they are with Trump losing. When they consider giving $59 billion to arms manufacturers after having held the southern border hostage for months a victory, and stripping men and female college athletes of their rights a great step forward, you can be sure that nothing good will come from this administration for as long as they stay in power.