Ivana Trump Defends Donald Trump Amid Resurfacing Rape Allegations

Ivana Trump has distanced herself from her own allegations that her ex-husband Donald Trump raped her towards the end of their marriage.

Ivana Defends Donald Trump Against Rape Charge

On Monday night, an article ran stating that Ivana had accused Donald of raping her both in a deposition during their divorce and in the book Lost Tycoon: The Many Lives of Donald J. Trump on The Daily Beast website. By Tuesday morning, Ivana had released a statement to defend her former spouse.

“I have recently read some comments attributed to me from nearly 30 years ago at a time of very high tension during my divorce from Donald. The story is totally without merit,” Ivana said in a statement to CNN. “Donald and I are the best of friends and together have raised three children that we love and are very proud of. I have nothing but fondness for Donald and wish him the best of luck on his campaign. Incidentally, I think he would make an incredible president.”

Also weighing in on the story about the alleged rape has been Donald Trump’s attorney Michael Cohen. In conversation with The Daily Beast, Cohen threatened the outlet, warning it against publishing anything that used his client’s name with the word rape.

“You write a story that has Mr. Trump’s name in it, with the word ‘rape,’ and I’m going to mess your life up … for as long as you’re on this frickin’ planet… you’re going to have judgments against you, so much money, you’ll never know how to get out from underneath it,” Cohen said, according to The Daily Beast. “You’re talking about the frontrunner for the GOP, presidential candidate, as well as a private individual who never raped anybody.”

The most inflammatory part of Cohen’s lengthy discourse with The Daily Beast was when he suggested that Trump legally couldn’t have raped Ivana during their marriage. “And, of course, understand that by the very definition, you can’t rape your spouse,” he said.

Legally speaking, the special counsel at The Trump Organization is incorrect. In 1984, the marital rape exemption in New York was struck down. Currently, all 50 states consider non-consensual sex with a spouse rape.

Trump, who appeared to to realize that agreeing with his lawyer’s take on the matter would be a bad move, said that Cohen does not speak for him.

“Mr. Trump speaks for Mr. Trump and nobody but Mr. Trump speaks for him,” a campaign source told CNN.