Willie Brown wasn’t on helicopter ride with Trump. Here’s who was

Ever since Donald Trump mentioned 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 though Brown, the previous California Speaker, mentioned he had by no means finished 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 at some point in 1990 when he had been invited by Trump to fly from Manhattan to Atlantic Metropolis on his chopper.

It was noon, Holden mentioned, and he had simply been served a drink when abruptly the hydraulic system failed, forcing the pilot to make an emergency touchdown in New Jersey.

On Thursday, Trump mentioned 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 mentioned: “This was not a nice touchdown, and Willie, he was — he was a bit involved. So I do know him fairly properly. 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 quick 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 mentioned with fun.

The Trump marketing campaign hasn’t commented about what appears at greatest 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 all around the story. And Trump has not solely caught by his statements however posted on social media that he had proof in “logs, upkeep data, and witnesses” to again up his account.

However one other particular person on that helicopter experience was Barbara Res, as soon as a prime govt accountable for development and growth on the Trump Group. In her 2013 guide, “All Alone on the 68th Ground,” 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 must 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 mentioned 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 acquired an issue. He had virtually two deadly accidents, one with Willie Brown and one with me,” Holden mentioned. So he requested Brown: “Willie, have been you in a helicopter with Trump which just about crashed?”

Holden was within the copter with Trump to debate the Manhattan developer’s want to construct on the location of the historic Ambassador Lodge on Wilshire Boulevard within the Los Angeles Mid-Wilshire District. Holden represented the district on the time.

Trump “needed to satisfy with Nate as a result of Nate was very, very influential,” Res mentioned in an interview, noting that she introduced Holden to New York. “And once we have been going for the assembly, Donald mentioned, ‘I can’t, I’ve to go to Atlantic Metropolis. Let’s have our assembly on the helicopter.” (Trump’s mission on that Wilshire website acquired entangled in litigation and by no means got here collectively.)

Holden mentioned that he knew Trump was making an attempt to impress him. On board, Holden recalled, “Trump mentioned, ‘Take a look at the skyline. It’s the very best on the earth.’ ”

However Holden wasn’t impressed, and mentioned he was furious when the plane had mechanical issues. “I couldn’t imagine they didn’t preserve their helicopter. I used to be elevating hell as a result of they put my life in jeopardy.” Solely a 12 months 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 mentioned, “He was speechless. He turned white as snow, glued to his seat.”

“There was no trace of any actual hazard that I perceived,” Res mentioned. “Trump was terrified. He was scared s—much less,” Res mentioned. “He simply misplaced three executives on the flight that he mentioned he was scheduled to be on, which in fact he was by no means scheduled to be on that flight. However, you understand, why not make use of three lifeless good staff.”

In an analogous method, each Res and Holden mentioned 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 necessary,” Res mentioned. “Additionally, he needed to incorporate a remark about Harris and I don’t assume you would make a connection between Harris and Holden.”

Stated Holden: “It makes the story extra juicy.”