The office of Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate has clarified his account of meeting US president Donald Trump, after the White House issued a statement denying the duo had ever dined together.
The eccentric mayor of Queensland’s glitter strip travelled to Mar-a-Lago in February to witness the signing of an ill-fated deal for a Trump Tower in Surfers Paradise, backed by the company of formerly bankrupt developer David Young.
Tate later told media he had dinner with Donald Trump, as well as his son Eric and daughter-in-law Lara, and remarked that the president called him “Mr mayor.”
He said they consumed tomahawk steaks together, and he marvelled at the beauty of first lady Melania.
The White House told the ABC: “The President and the First Lady did not have dinner with that group.”
Eric Trump oversaw the $1.5 billion deal for a Trump-branded tower on the Gold Coast, and was pictured meeting with David Young at the resort.
A spokesperson for Tate’s office on Monday said the Australian delegation had been eating with the younger Trump, when the president came into the same room with a different group and wandered over to their table.
The spokesperson said he did speak to the Gold Coast mayor, before having dinner at an adjacent table.
Travel itinerary documents seen by this masthead do not shed much light on the events of that day.
While extensive details were given for other events in the mayor’s international tour – which also visited Milan and Dubai, as well as other parts of the US – the entry for Friday, February 13 just said: “Meeting with Trump Organisation.”
Tate attracted controversy when it emerged the Trump Organisation had paid for his accommodation and expenses during his stay at Mar-a-Lago.
His office has since changed his declaration to show he personally covered the costs.
He initially claimed he was invited to the resort in an official capacity, saying: “I’m pretty sure Tom Tate wouldn’t have gotten an invite; the mayor of the Gold Coast got an invite.”
On Monday his office had changed its tune, telling this masthead: “The visit to Mar-a-Lago was private and all costs associated with that visit were paid by Mr Tate, privately.”
The ABC said a copy of the invite was not provided when requested, with the mayor’s office saying it had been given verbally.
The plans for a Trump Tower on the Gold Coast collapsed about three months after the Mar-a-Lago meeting.
A petition railing against the project had attracted more than 142,000 signatures by that time.
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