I can’t think of a time that I’ve seen someone put in their place this brilliantly. From NORM:
Donald Trump and MGM Mirage management won’t be exchanging Christmas cards.
The controversial New York real estate developer is raining on CityCenter’s parade, calling it “an absolute catastrophe.”
“The biggest problem is it costs so much,” Trump said. “It cost billions more than anticipated and its going to be hard to recover from that.”He added, “I love Kirk Kerkorian and I hope it works out for them.” Trump said he came away with reservations after seeing CityCenter….
Asked to comment, Alan Feldman, senior vice president of public affairs for MGM Mirage, e-mailed a terse, 11-words response:”I can hardly imagine anyone’s opinion that matters less than his,” Feldman said.
via NORM: The Donald slams new megaresort – News – ReviewJournal.com.
That’s funny. And it’s coming from one of the smartest people in the business. There’s just no answer to that.
Donald Trump always manages to say very unusual things. A few years back he got into a very unbecoming verbal war with Rosie O’Donald (calling her a “fat pig”).
In December 1989 he hired The Rolling Stones to play in Atlantic City. The Stones didn’t want to be seen in any photos with Sir Don, simply because they didn’t want to seem to have ‘gone too corporate’.
Trump had this to say in response * :
“To put it mildly, The Stones impress me as a bunch of major jerks. A sorry sight…pale and haggard far beyond their age”.
(I just read this in a book titled: Under Their Thumb, 2009).
Trump is known to verbally attack anyone or anything that even slightly threatens his ego or his vested interests.
Some of his thoughts ARE interesting. He’s a Gemini. Geminis are almost guaranteed to provide a unique and devisive ‘take’ on any subject. Though, their speedy, mercurial minds often react faster and more openly than what most of us are used to hearing. Geminis Bob Dylan, Joan Rivers and John Wayne, have that same type of quick-thinking mind.
The thing with Trump is that he doesn’t feel any need to filter his quick-thoughts before he speaks them. He can always be counted on to say exactly what he’s thinking. In that regard, he deserves a bit of credit….even when he says stuff most of us might disagree with.
Is trump intending to become a vulture if CityCenter falters? I don’t know if Trump even owns the casinos that bear his name?
I don’t think CityCenter considers Donald Trump one of their target customers. So they might as well dismiss his comments as un-original and irrelevant. Its in CityCenter’s best interest to let the market determine how profitable CityCenter will be rather than to accept Donald Trump’s views on the issue and close their doors.
So is that Trump or Feldman who is one of the smartest, Dave? I don’t think Feldman has developed anything in his life and the Donald has quite a few successes to his name. (Not many casinos, mind you, but half of New York City!)
But it’s funny how Trump is now a target not only of Feldman, but also of former buddy Andy Beal and now Carl Icahn.
Somehow, I think there’s another Trump “comeback” book in here somewhere. Hey, maybe you could write it!
Trump’s definitely got a talent for getting his name on buildings and I won’t deny his success as a real estate developed, but since he helped open the Mirage, Alan Feldman’s been an important part of a company that’s been arguably the most successful in the history of the casino business. He’s got a well-deserved reputation around Las Vegas as the best at what he does.
Having participated in more than one panel discussion with him, I’ve witnessed first-hand his impressively broad and deep knowledge of the industry and the political issues associated with it. He gets my vote.
Donald Trump likes to criticize other projects (and other people, like EW 1951 mentioned with Rosie O’Donnell) to help promote himself. He knows once he says something negative about anything the numerous media outlets will pick up his quotes and everyone will start talking about The Donald once again.
The Trump International Hotel Las Vegas is a condominium-hotel that has no casino, no nightclubs and expensive restaurants. Elsewhere Trump is important (like dave202 mentions above in New York City) but in Las Vegas he’s not important.
Paul. It’s good to see your post..which has the CORRECT spelling of O’ Donnel (unlike my spelling of it as O’ Donald). haha.
I often have a problem with spelling. Usually the ‘spell-checker’ lets me know…like when it highlights my incorrect spelling of words like “devisive” (actually ‘divisive’) or my mis-spelling of words like “notice-ably”). If I try using an online dictionary I lose track of the page I’m writing on…so I just make up spellings as best as I can. hahahaha.
In elementary school I was a great speller…but certain words would trip-me-up. I lost the state Spelling Bee by mis-spelling the simple word “oasis”. I ‘over-thought’ the word and added some extra letters (a few too many E’s) and brought shame to my school. hahahahaha.
————
Back to Trump though. He has a right to speak as he sees fit, but usually goes ‘for the juglar’ and goes so far as to attack people’s physical looks (calling them “fat” or “haggard”, etc).
I don’t care how successful people see him as being. Success doesn’t give a person the right to be demeaning. Success in business or any field (whether rock-star, athlete or politician) doesn’t grant a person a pass to act like an ‘all-knowing’ jack-*ss.
IMO…”success” doesn’t mean much at all….if a person isn’t a “success” at FIRST being a good, civil human-being.
Many people follow the Theory that “achieving success in one certain field allows a person the right to behave as uncouth as they want”. I don’t, and never, will follow that concept and theory that ‘Success is King’.
We’d rarely see someone like Michael Jordan calling a new basketball team “a catastrophe”….even though he’s (seemingly) earned the right to make such professional judgments.
I’ve seen that Chef Ramsey (on ‘Hell’s Kitchen’) going into a tirade and belittling and badgering his staff over monor things like not using enough pepper. Meanwhile, President Obama (who probably has the most important job on Earth) sees no need to belittle his staff or act like mad-pig if someone is late with a report.
Bad manners are un-allowable, regardless of the urgency of a situation. And stupid ‘judgement calls’…like Trump’s…can’t be overlooked or allowed.
There was no honesty in what Trump said about City Center.
The word “catastrophe” is used to describe a tragedy. And Trump knowingly spoke that word to a worldwide audience of millions right at the beginning of MGM’s commercial launch of an 8 billion dollar project.
That’s outright defamation (or as lawyers could call it…Economic Interference..”an intention to inflict economic harm”.
I’m surprised that MGM doesn’t sue Trump for slander. They could and I think they should. Just on English principle alone, if nothing else.
Clarence Darrow would have a field-day with this case.
After the Moniky Lewinsky debacle, President Clinton was able to say “it depends on what your definition of is IS”.
It would be similarly interesting to see lawyers debate what the definition of the word “catastrophe” IS.
MGM shouldn’t let Trump ‘slide’ on this. Feldman shouldn’t either. If Feldman could hear what Donald is saying about him, behind closed doors, his ears would be burning just like Rosie O’ Donnell’s were.
Freedom of Speech doesn’t allow slander. Trump crossed the line.
If someone said “Panorama Towers is not Park Place” there is no slander in that sentence. In actuality, that sentence is a true fact. No place CAN BE Park Place…except PARK PLACE.
That statement had an intended, hidden implication. And, I agree that the implication was likewise as stupid as what Trump said. (I personally think Panorama Towers are going to become very, very valuable in the months ahead).
But the point of my little rant here…is that one statement didn’t break the rules of slander, while another one did.
Trump broke the ‘rule of language’. His English teacher might agree with me too.
If I was kicked out of a 6th grade spelling bee…simply for mis-spelling “oasis”….I don’t see why the Rules of Language shouldn’t likewise be applied when anyone mis-uses the word “catastrophe”.
According to King Donald…City Center is not simply a “catastrophe”……..it is an “ABSOLUTE catastrophe”!!!
I suppose it depends on what a person’s definition of “absolute” IS (as well).
—-
“Clarence Darrow. We need to talk”.
:>)
Donald Trump is a very successful real estate developer; there is no doubt about that. Besides his buildings in New York City and other places he has a building in Chicago called Trump International Hotel and Tower Chicago. I think it has a great design, I like the color (it’s like a silver/blue shade) and the location is excellent.
That being said Donald Trump is a carnival barker who does anything for publicity. For example, his Celebrity Apprentice show (which comes out sometime next year) has Rod Blagojevich on it. He is the former Governor of Illinois who was impeached and thrown out of office in January of 2009 for trying to sell the US Senate seat to the highest bidder which was vacated by President Barack Obama. Blagojevich will be in jail soon, maybe Trump can show up in the courtroom and support his Celebrity “CRIMINAL” Apprentice.
Carnival barker is right. Don is the Jerry Springer of Big Business. The next thing he’ll probably do is try selling us board-games…or even WATER.
Oh wait! He already has. hahaha.
I really don’t have any personal vendetta or actual feelings against Trump (or should I call him Mr. Cat-Ass-Trophy?).
I don’t resent his accumulation of wealth or any of that. In fact, I like successful people who achieve great things and try to bring happiness to the world.
The celebrity I admire most is (the-nearly-a-billionaire) Paul Mc Cartney. I consider Paul to be (probably) the most highly-evolved person of our time. I seriously do…and for many good reasons.
And I admire the success of that lady author of Harry Potter, who (nearly) single-handedly became a billionaire while bringing people much happiness.
So, Donnie’s success (or jealousy on my part) isn’t a factor in my opposition to him. I do harbor a bit of a grudge against him for his ‘Apprentice’ show…which encourages young people to think business is a ‘kill or be killed’, ruthless endeavor. His show teaches ‘back-stabbing’…and a ‘win by any means’ philosophy. In that regard, I consider Don to be a traitor of his generation. There’s no Zen in Donald’s approach to business, like there is in Bill Gates or Steve Jobs (etc).
Of course I need to remind myself that Trump’s early years were spent with his dad collecting tenement rent….and that maybe, because of that, Don actually thinks his business philosophy is proper.
I can almost imagine the dialog of Don’s schooling by his father’s side: “Look my son. Don’t take any guff from these slimeball tenents. They’re all big, fat, lazy liars. If they’re a day late or a dollar short…evict ‘em without hesitation. You hear me Donnie Boy?”.
“Yes Dad. I sure do. I won’t show them any mercy either. Mercy is for losers. But, we’re winners, right Pop? And winning is all that matters…on the tennis court or anywhere else. Win, win, win. Losing is for losers. And there are only two kinds of people…winners & losers. Right Pop?”
“Right son”.
===============
My point about a lawsuit was just meant to be an intellectual exercise. I think it would make a good discussion for debate and law school students. Did Donald Trump commit slander, libel, defamation…or was he merely using his rights of free speech?
I think that argument would eventually need a Supreme Court to decide.
====
Just for fun Paul, please go enter ‘Trump Manson’ in YouTube’s search box….to see Trump’s best Apprentice show ever (IMO).
:/O
Donald cracks me up. His casinos are now in their THIRD bankruptcy appearance. Now that is a catastrophe!!!