The implosion of the last remaining symbol of Trump’s bankrupt Atlantic City casino empire is expected to take place in February. The chance to press the button and blow the building up is being auctioned.
During a press conference announcing the auction, Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small said that Trump “took advantage of bankruptcy laws, took advantage of a lot of people, made a lot of money in Atlantic City, and then got out.” Small noted money raised in the auction will benefit the city’s Boys & Girls Club.
It seems there’s an interesting and clever twist. Dan Grote of The Press of Atlantic City writes, “A St. Louis man has set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise as much as $1 million toward the chance to hand the button over to porn star Stormy Daniels, who said she was paid off by President Donald Trump’s lawyer to stay quiet about an alleged affair she had with him in 2006.
Joe Bedell, the organizer of the GoFundMe campaign says, “I live in St. Louis but will nominate Stormy to complete the demolition if we win. She has expressed interest! If she can’t do it, I will nominate someone else appropriate or I will go myself, with acknowledgement to all of you!”
Apparently a lot of people would like to blow up a Trump property. The symbolism of taking down something Trump is powerful—and what a photo op that button-pressing moment could be. As of Friday, the high bid was $172,500.
Trump cut most ties with Atlantic City in 2009 (aside from a 10% fee for the use of his name on what were then three casinos in the city). That stake was void after billionaire Carl Icahn took ownership of the company out of bankruptcy court in February 2016.
