Nate Holden Claims He Was on Helicopter Ride with Trump

Former Los Angeles city councilman and California state senator Nate Holden has publicly disputed former President Donald Trump’s claim regarding a helicopter emergency landing. In an interview with Politico, Holden asserted that he was the individual accompanying Trump during the incident, contrary to Trump’s assertion that it was former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown. “Willie is the short Black guy living in San Francisco,” Holden remarked, emphasizing the distinction between himself and Brown. Trump made his comments during a press event at his Mar-a-Lago resort, where he recounted the emergency landing, previously mentioning it in his book "Letters to Trump." Brown, however, refuted Trump’s account, stating, “I’ve never been in a helicopter with him in my life,” during a conversation with CNN. This incident marks a recurring theme in Trump’s narratives, as he has referenced the event multiple times. Holden, who was in contact with Trump’s team in the 1990s regarding a project at the Ambassador Hotel, recalled a meeting at Trump Tower before a planned visit to Trump’s Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City. Barbara Res, Trump’s former executive vice president of construction, corroborated Holden’s account, confirming that he was indeed the passenger on the helicopter. In her book, "All Alone on the 68th Floor," Res described the emergency landing and recounted Trump’s humorous remarks about Holden’s fear during the flight, while Holden noted that it was Trump who was “scared sh*tless.”