The man who nearly crashed in a helicopter with Donald Trump revealed to POLITICO that Trump mistakenly confused him with former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, despite Trump’s insistence that it was Brown who was with him during the incident.
Nate Holden, a former city councilmember and state senator from Los Angeles, recounted the harrowing experience in an exclusive interview. He recalled the near-death experience, which he believes occurred around 1990.
Holden humorously pointed out the difference between himself and Brown, saying, “Willie is the short Black guy living in San Francisco. I’m a tall Black guy living in Los Angeles.”
During a press conference, Trump claimed that Brown was on board during the helicopter ride, but Holden clarified that it was actually him who was present. He met Trump at Trump Tower before they embarked on a helicopter ride to Atlantic City, New Jersey, to visit Trump’s Taj Mahal casino.
Despite concerns about the safety of the helicopter ride following a previous crash involving Trump’s executives, Holden recounted Trump’s reassurance and admiration for the sky during the flight.
Barbara Res, Trump’s former executive vice president of construction and development, also confirmed Holden’s account of the helicopter ride. She recalled the tense moments during the emergency landing in New Jersey after the pilot lost some instruments.
Res and Holden reminisced about the memorable experience, debunking Trump’s claim that Brown was with him during the incident. Holden also clarified with Brown that he was the one who was involved in the helicopter incident with Trump.
Holden emphasized that Trump’s confusion between him and Brown was a significant error and expressed frustration over Trump’s inaccurate portrayal of the event.
