The man who almost crashed in a helicopter with Donald Trump told POLITICO Trump confused him with former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown — despite the former president’s repeated insistence it was Brown.

It was Nate Holden, a former city councilmember and state senator from Los Angeles, who said in an exclusive interview late Friday that he remembers the near-death experience well. He and others believe it happened sometime in 1990.

“Willie is the short Black guy living in San Francisco,” Holden said. “I’m a tall Black guy living in Los Angeles.”

“I guess we all look alike,” Holden told POLITICO, letting out a loud laugh.

  • karika@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Res said Trump liked to tell a joke about Holden on the helicopter — “you turned white,” he said. But she said it was Trump’s face that was white.

    “He was white as snow,” Holden added. “And he was scared shitless.”

  • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    You know what I would call a guy who thinks all black people look alike?

    Weird. I’d call him weird.

    Also weird that his running mate fucks couches, but that’s a whole other issue.

    • qjkxbmwvz@startrek.website
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      2 months ago

      There were stories going around about how Trump claimed to have been in an emergency helicopter landing with Willie Brown, the (Black) former mayor of San Francisco. Willie Brown denied this.

      So…I actually think the headline makes sense, and is kinda funny, but the context is definitely important — Trump confuses a short Black politician from SF with a tall Black politician from LA.

      • cynthorpe@discuss.online
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        2 months ago

        Trump confuses a short Black politician from SF with a tall Black politician from LA.

        That’s the headline ❤️

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          2 months ago

          The other angle on the is that Kamala dated Willie brown, the man not in the helicopter, decades ago.

          Trump is doing some weird rambling thing about his political opponent that he thinks makes him look good and her bad, but his racism has popped up and transposed the black people involved to “make it work” instead of what really happened.

          Holden also connected with Brown on Thursday. “I said, ‘Willie, were you almost in a helicopter crash with Trump also?’ He said ‘No.’ I said, ‘I was the one, Willie.’”

          Before he hung up with POLITICO, Holden assured a reporter that nobody discussed — let alone criticized — Kamala Harris as Trump claimed Brown did.

          “He either mixed it up,” Holden said. “Or, he made it up. This was just too big to overlook. This is a big one. Conflating Willie Brown and me? The press is searching for the real story and they didn’t get it. You did.”

          • OlinOfTheHillPeople@lemmy.world
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            2 months ago

            Also:

            Over the phone Friday, Res said Trump liked to tell a joke about Holden on the helicopter — “you turned white,” he said. But she said it was Trump’s face that was white. “He was white as snow,” Holden added. “And he was scared shitless.”

  • Hikermick@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    I think if I had a near death experience I would remember who I shared it with. The cognitive decline is awful to watch. So sad