Ron Galella/WireImageDonald Trump's lawyer apologized Tuesday for the controversial comments he made to a Daily Beast reporter regarding spousal rape.
In an article published Monday night, Trump's attorney Michael Cohen dismissed Ivana Trump's decades old and long retracted allegations in which she accused the mogul of "rape" (although not "in a literal or criminal sense") during an incident in 1989. Cohen said that "by the very definition, you can't rape your spouse," adding, "It is true...You cannot rape your spouse. And there's very clear case law."
On Tuesday, however, Cohen issued the following statement to NBC: "As an attorney, husband and father there are many injustices that offend me but nothing more than charges of rape or racism. They hit me at my core. Rarely am I surprised by the press, but the gall of this particular reporter to make such a reprehensible and false allegation against Mr. Trump truly stunned me. In my moment of shock and anger, I made an inarticulate comment - which I do not believe—and which I apologize for entirely."
Trump's ex-wife Ivana responded as well by coming to the presidential hopeful's defense. "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," she said in a statement to NBC. "The story is totally without merit. Donald and I are the best of friends and together have raised 3 children [Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric Trump] 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."
A spokesperson for the potential GOP candidate said Trump "did not know of his [Cohen's] comments but disagrees with them."
—Reporting by Lindsay Good