San Francisco’s former mayor Willie Brown has dismissed as “fiction” Donald Trump’s story that they as soon as endured a scary helicopter journey collectively.
The previous president mentioned on Thursday that he and Mr Brown had gone “down” in a helicopter collectively and Mr Brown had been “a little bit involved”.
“We thought possibly this was the top,” Trump mentioned. “We have been in a helicopter… and there was an emergency touchdown. This was not a nice touchdown.”
Trump later insisted the story was true in a name to the New York Times, saying he was “in all probability going to sue” with out elaborating.
Mr Brown, 90, instructed US media he had by no means shared a helicopter with Trump, including: “I do not assume I might wish to journey on the identical helicopter with him.”
Trump, 78, gave the impression to be complicated Mr Brown with Jerry Brown, California’s former governor, with whom he shared a helicopter journey in 2018 to go to the aftermath of the Paradise wildfires. Gavin Newsom, the present state governor, was additionally on the flight.
Each males instructed US media there had been no emergency touchdown or hazard. “I name full BS,” Mr Newsom instructed The New York Instances.
Trump instructed his story in response to a query about Willie Brown’s relationship with Kamala Harris, 59, within the mid-Nineties whereas she was a California prosecutor.
Trump was requested whether or not he thought the connection had performed a task in Ms Harris’s profession journey.
“Nicely, I do know Willie Brown very nicely,” Trump mentioned, earlier than talking of the flight and claiming the previous mayor had instructed him “horrible issues” about Ms Harris.
“He had a giant half in what occurred with Kamala,” Trump mentioned.
The previous mayor additionally denied this.
“That is so far-fetched, it is unbelievable,” he told native TV station KRON. “I couldn’t envision considering of Kamala Harris in any damaging approach.
“She’s a very good good friend a very long time in the past, completely lovely lady, good as all hell, very profitable, electorally talking.
“He was doing what Donald does greatest, his inventive fiction.”
A spokesperson for Jerry Brown additionally instructed US media that the previous governor had not mentioned Ms Harris on the helicopter flight in 2018.
Trump’s remarks at an hour-long information convention at his Mar-a-Lago property come as a current nationwide ballot exhibits Ms Harris is thrashing him amongst doubtless voters.
The 2 have visited quite a few battleground states this week alongside their vice-presidential candidates to talk to voters.
