Curated by:
Last updated:
Washington DC, United States of America (USA)
Donald Trump reiterated his claim that Willie Brown, who used to date Kamala Harris, was in the helicopter with him. (Image: Reuters)
Donald Trump’s claim was refuted by Kamala Harris’s ex, sparking a new debate about his memory.
Willie Brown, a former speaker of the California State Assembly who dated US Vice President Kamala Harris in the 1990s, this week refuted Donald Trump’s claim that he had a conversation with him about his relationship with the US presidential candidate during a helicopter ride.
His rejection of Donald Trump’s statements has sparked a debate about the memory of the former US president and Harris’ rival – an issue that Trump had raised in relation to Joe Biden when he was still in the race for the White House.
“I flew with him in a helicopter. We thought maybe this was the end. … So I know him pretty well. I mean, I haven’t seen him in years. But he told me horrible things about her,” Trump said in reference to Harris, according to a report by Axios.
When Trump made the remarks, he was speaking to reporters on Thursday about his narrow escape from death during a helicopter ride.
Brown, 90, the mayor of San Francisco, told the New York Times that he never flew in a helicopter with Trump and that he “did not denigrate Harris” when he spoke to the former president because he “admires and respects” her.
“Those are the two things I am sure of,” he said.
This also led to a separate debate about Donald Trump’s memory and speculation that he may have mixed the identities of two African-American politicians.
The debate erupted when 95-year-old Nate Holden, a former Los Angeles city councilman and state senator, said he was the one who accompanied Donald Trump on that helicopter ride.
After news of Trump’s claims spread, Holden Brown called to talk to him.
“I said, ‘Willie, you know what? That’s me!'” Holden was told by the New York Times.
“And I said to him, ‘You’re a little black guy and I’m a big black guy – but we all look the same, right?'”
Holden said he was 6’1″. “Willie must be about 5’6. Maybe 5’5. He comes up to about my shoulders. And he’s bald. And I’m not bald,” he told the newspaper.
“I think he’s just making things up. That’s my opinion. He never thought anyone would check,” Holden added.
Holden’s story was confirmed by former Trump executive Barbara Res, who wrote about it in her 2013 book, according to a separate report by Politico.
Donald Trump reiterated his claim on Friday, insisting that Brown was in the helicopter.
“It was Willie Brown. But now Willie doesn’t remember?” Trump said. He also has flight records to prove his claim and will “probably sue” New York Times about the article.
