EGN NEWS DESK
Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown mentioned he would contemplate suing former President Donald Trump in an interview with CBS News this week. His feedback come amid a continued wrestle over whether or not the 2 endured a treacherous helicopter trip collectively—one thing the previous President and present Republican presidential nominee says did occur, however Brown says didn’t.
“Somebody has bought to guarantee that he stops mendacity,” Brown is quoted as saying. “If he retains it up, sooner or later, I’m going to provide him a style of his personal conduct. If he sues the New York Times for printing that I mentioned he lied, I’m going to sue him.”
During a press convention on Aug. 8 at his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida, Trump was requested about Vice President Kamala Harris—the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee within the upcoming election—and her previous relationship with Brown. (It’s understood that Harris and Brown dated for a while within the mid-Nineties. In 2020, Brown authored an opinion piece for the San Francisco Chronicle titled: “Sure, I dated Kamala Harris. So what?”)
In response, Trump instructed a narrative, describing him and Brown as passengers of a helicopter that had an emergency touchdown.
“Well, I do know Willie Brown very nicely,” Trump mentioned. “In truth, I went down in a helicopter with him. We thought perhaps this was the top. There was an emergency touchdown.”
Trump went on to say that Brown instructed him “horrible issues” about Harris.
In his 2023 e book Letters to Trump, during which he revealed his letters to quite a few influential individuals—the previous President mentioned the alleged helicopter incident within the caption of a photograph of him with Brown.
“We really had an emergency touchdown in a helicopter collectively. It was slightly scary for each of us, however fortunately we made it,” the caption learn.
However, as reported by the New York Times quickly after Trump’s press convention, Brown has denied this ever occurred.
“You know me nicely sufficient to know that if I nearly went down in a helicopter with anyone, you’ll have heard about it,” Brown, who additionally denied any ill-will between himself and Harris, instructed the publication. Current theories recommend that Trump could have blended up Brown with different politicians. For instance, former California Gov. Jerry Brown as soon as rode with Trump in a helicopter in 2018 to survey wildfire injury, but no emergency touchdown was reported. On Aug. 9, Politico additionally reported that former Los Angeles metropolis councilman and state senator Nate Holden claimed he as soon as rode with Trump in a helicopter heading to New Jersey, which a fellow passenger mentioned resulted in an emergency touchdown
After the New York Times posted the story on Aug. 8, Trump fought again the following day, reportedly calling Maggie Haberman, a reporter on the paper. According to Haberman, Trump shouted that he had proof of the alleged helicopter trip, and that he was “most likely going to sue” over the article.
Now, Brown has responded to Trump’s risk to sue.
In his interview with CBS News, Brown can also be quoted as saying that Trump’s story is “a deliberate misrepresentation” and is simply “a distraction from the magnificence” of Harris’ “ascendancy” previously weeks since President Joe Biden endorsed her run for presidency, with many of the Democratic Party following swimsuit.
TIME has reached out to the Trump marketing campaign and the Willie Brown Institute for remark and additional data.
