Ever since Donald Trump stated Thursday that Willie Brown had bashed Vice President Kamala Harris years in the past throughout a scary helicopter experience collectively, the previous president has insisted that the story is true. This even if Brown, the previous California Speaker, stated he had by no means carried out enterprise with Trump, not to mention been on a flight with him.
But it surely seems that one other California official had.
In an interview Saturday, Nate Holden, the previous longtime Los Angeles metropolis councilman and state senator, recalled vividly what occurred sooner or later in 1990 when he had been invited by Trump to fly from Manhattan to Atlantic Metropolis on his chopper.
It was noon, Holden stated, and he had simply been served a drink when rapidly the hydraulic system failed, forcing the pilot to make an emergency touchdown in New Jersey.
On Thursday, Trump stated in impromptu remarks to the press that he and Brown “have been in a helicopter going to a sure location collectively, and there was an emergency touchdown.” Trump stated: “This was not a pleasing touchdown, and Willie, he was — he was a little bit involved. So I do know him fairly nicely. I imply, I haven’t seen him in years. However he instructed me horrible issues about [Harris].”
Holden, 95, was incredulous that Trump may confuse the 2 males — “the brief Black man from Northern California and the tall Black man from Southern California. However as they are saying, all of us look the identical,” he stated with amusing.
The Trump marketing campaign hasn’t commented about what appears at finest a mistaken identification, and worse, a fabricated story meant to discredit Harris, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.
After Brown denied that he had by no means gotten on a helicopter with Trump, the nationwide and worldwide media have been everywhere in the story. And Trump has not solely caught by his statements however posted on social media that he had proof in “logs, upkeep information, and witnesses” to again up his account.
However one other individual on that helicopter experience was Barbara Res, as soon as a prime government in command of building and growth on the Trump Group. In her 2013 ebook, “All Alone on the 68th Flooring,” Res basically corroborates Holden’s account of what occurred.
“As we pulled out over the Hudson, the helicopter started to shake,” she wrote. “Very shortly thereafter the pilot tell us he had misplaced some devices and we’d have to make an emergency touchdown. By now, the helicopter was shaking like loopy. Donald loves to inform the story that Nate, an African American, turned white, however as I recall Donald was fairly white himself.”
Holden stated Saturday that he referred to as Brown shortly after seeing Trump’s feedback concerning the helicopter incident on tv. “I simply thought Donald Trump’s obtained an issue. He had virtually two deadly accidents, one with Willie Brown and one with me,” Holden stated. So he requested Brown: “Willie, have been you in a helicopter with Trump which nearly crashed?”
Holden was within the copter with Trump to debate the Manhattan developer’s want to construct on the positioning of the historic Ambassador Resort on Wilshire Boulevard within the Los Angeles Mid-Wilshire District. Holden represented the district on the time.
Trump “needed to fulfill with Nate as a result of Nate was very, very influential,” Res stated in an interview, noting that she introduced Holden to New York. “And after we have been going for the assembly, Donald stated, ‘I can’t, I’ve to go to Atlantic Metropolis. Let’s have our assembly on the helicopter.” (Trump’s venture on that Wilshire web site obtained entangled in litigation and by no means got here collectively.)
Holden stated that he knew Trump was attempting to impress him. On board, Holden recalled, “Trump stated, ‘Have a look at the skyline. It’s the very best on the earth.’ ”
However Holden wasn’t impressed, and stated he was furious when the plane had mechanical issues. “I couldn’t imagine they didn’t keep their helicopter. I used to be elevating hell as a result of they put my life in jeopardy.” Solely a yr earlier, in 1989, three executives of Trump’s casinos have been killed, together with two others when a chopper crashed over Fork River in New Jersey.
As for Trump, Holden stated, “He was speechless. He turned white as snow, glued to his seat.”
“There was no trace of any actual hazard that I perceived,” Res stated. “Trump was terrified. He was scared s—much less,” Res stated. “He simply misplaced three executives on the flight that he stated he was scheduled to be on, which in fact he was by no means scheduled to be on that flight. However, you recognize, why not make use of three lifeless good workers.”
In an analogous method, each Res and Holden stated Trump instructed his personal model of what occurred on the helicopter with Holden.
“Trump knew Willie Brown was the communicate of the Meeting and Nate Holden was a councilman, and so he needed to make it extra essential,” Res stated. “Additionally, he needed to incorporate a remark about Harris and I don’t assume you can make a connection between Harris and Holden.”
Stated Holden: “It makes the story extra juicy.”
