Former California lawmaker Nate Holden says he was on the scary helicopter ride with Trump
Former Los Angeles city councilman and state senator Nate Holden said Friday that he was with former President Donald Trump in the helicopter ride that made an emergency landing, despite Trump saying it was former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown.
Former Los Angeles City Councilman and California State Senator Nate Holden has contradicted former President Donald Trump's account of a helicopter emergency landing, asserting that he, not former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, was the person accompanying Trump during the incident.
"Willie is the short Black guy living in San Francisco. I'm a tall Black guy living in Los Angeles," Holden told Politico late Friday, adding with a touch of sarcasm, "I guess we all look alike."
Trump, speaking to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Thursday, had recounted the helicopter emergency landing episode, mistakenly identifying his companion as Willie Brown. This claim was promptly refuted by Brown, who stated in a phone call with CNN that Trump's recollection was "obviously wrong." Brown emphatically denied ever being in a helicopter with Trump, stating, "I've never been in a helicopter with him in my life."
This was not the first instance of Trump misremembering the event and attributing it to Brown. In the book "Letters to Trump," the former president had previously described the incident, stating it was "a little scary for both of us." This inaccurate memory was highlighted by Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung in a recent social media post.
Holden provided context for his involvement in the incident, explaining his connection to Trump during the 1990s. According to Holden, he was in communication with Trump's team regarding the former president's ambitions to construct a building on the site of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, which was located in the district Holden represented at the time. Holden recounted meeting with Trump at Trump Tower before their departure for Atlantic City, New Jersey, where they intended to tour Trump's now-defunct Taj Mahal casino.
Barbara Res, Trump's former executive vice president of construction, corroborated Holden's account, confirming to Politico that it was indeed Holden who was present during the helicopter ride. Res documented the experience in her book "All Alone on the 68th Floor," where she described the pilot's announcement of an impending emergency landing. She recalled Trump making light of the situation by joking about Holden being scared, whereas, in reality, as Holden noted, it was Trump who appeared visibly frightened during the incident.
This revelation sheds light on Trump's error in recalling the details of the helicopter emergency landing, highlighting the potential pitfalls of misidentification and the importance of accurate recollection, especially in public statements. It also underscores the unique perspective that Holden, as a public official and witness to this event, can offer in providing a more accurate narrative of the former president's experiences.
"Willie is the short Black guy living in San Francisco. I'm a tall Black guy living in Los Angeles," Holden told Politico late Friday, adding with a touch of sarcasm, "I guess we all look alike."
Trump, speaking to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Thursday, had recounted the helicopter emergency landing episode, mistakenly identifying his companion as Willie Brown. This claim was promptly refuted by Brown, who stated in a phone call with CNN that Trump's recollection was "obviously wrong." Brown emphatically denied ever being in a helicopter with Trump, stating, "I've never been in a helicopter with him in my life."
This was not the first instance of Trump misremembering the event and attributing it to Brown. In the book "Letters to Trump," the former president had previously described the incident, stating it was "a little scary for both of us." This inaccurate memory was highlighted by Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung in a recent social media post.
Holden provided context for his involvement in the incident, explaining his connection to Trump during the 1990s. According to Holden, he was in communication with Trump's team regarding the former president's ambitions to construct a building on the site of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, which was located in the district Holden represented at the time. Holden recounted meeting with Trump at Trump Tower before their departure for Atlantic City, New Jersey, where they intended to tour Trump's now-defunct Taj Mahal casino.
Barbara Res, Trump's former executive vice president of construction, corroborated Holden's account, confirming to Politico that it was indeed Holden who was present during the helicopter ride. Res documented the experience in her book "All Alone on the 68th Floor," where she described the pilot's announcement of an impending emergency landing. She recalled Trump making light of the situation by joking about Holden being scared, whereas, in reality, as Holden noted, it was Trump who appeared visibly frightened during the incident.
This revelation sheds light on Trump's error in recalling the details of the helicopter emergency landing, highlighting the potential pitfalls of misidentification and the importance of accurate recollection, especially in public statements. It also underscores the unique perspective that Holden, as a public official and witness to this event, can offer in providing a more accurate narrative of the former president's experiences.