Biff Tannen, in the alternative future where he’s a mogul, definitely was.
In 1983, during Bob Vila’s time at This Old House, both Donald Trump and Ivana appeared on an episode. Part of the time was spent at newly built Trump Tower lobby in NYC, and another part was at a penthouse apartment there. If course, the apartment had a gorgeous skyline view and over-the-top design. That was the first time that I saw Trump in action, and I immediately knew that I didn’t like him.
A year later my wife and I were vacationing in NYC and we toured the Trump Tower lobby, because of what we saw in that episode. As we planned on taking THE escalator to the second level to see the shops there, the security guard at the bottom of it looked us over and evidently thought we were worthy of stepping on such precious ground. We went up, looked around, and went right back down. As we left, there was a long line of black limos idling on the street. I knew then that we were not of that world.
Wrestlemania IV & V were held at Trump Plaza in Atlantic City (1988 & 1989). He got many mentions and camera time. Also, he occasionally would attend events, obviously in the front row and would get a camera on him because of that. Vince McMahon and Trump were friends for decades, both are carnies.
Quantum Leap had an episode where our time-traveling hero gets a chance to change the course of someone’s life for the better:
Well, you clearly just went back in time and put that there.
Why on earth would he? It’s owned by the Port Authority and a guy named Larry Silverstein held a long term lease. He had no ownership or any right or way to help financially or otherwise. I can see him criticizing the effort because he’s a dick but expecting that he help financially makes no sense.
The first time I heard Trump’s name was when Rona Barrett appeared on the Tonight Show to promote an upcoming interview with America’s youngest billionaire.
“His name is Donald Trump…”
Carson asked why he’d never heard of him. Barrett answered that Trump was extremely shy of publicity.
This was around 1980-81.
I’ve never forgotten that the first thing I heard about Trump was a lie.
What went wrong that stopped being true?
The shy part or the billionaire part?
I mean, I thought his taxes revealed he was about -$320,000,000 or so at the time his taxes were filed. Owed a ton of money to foreign banks and businesses.
What ever happened with this?
There’s a video on YouTube of Billy West (Zapp’s voice actor) reading Trump tweets as Zapp.
It’s frightening how well they mesh.
A 1958 episode of the western series Trackdown featured Trump as an itinerant con man:
Narrator: The people were ready to believe. Like sheep they ran to the slaughterhouse. And waiting for them was the high priest of fraud.
Trump: I am the only one. Trust me. I can build a wall around your homes that nothing will penetrate.
Townperson: What do we do? How can we save ourselves?
Trump: You ask how do you build that wall. You ask, and I’m here to tell you.
(OK, it was actually a character named Walter Trump, and Donald Trump was only 11 years old at the time, but still…)
My memory was faulty. I recalled that a group of NY Developers took on the project. Trump’s company could have joined that effort. That may have been one of many proposals that was rejected. This was a long, long time ago. I don’t know the complete timeline.
Apparently Silverstein Properties had the financial resources to Develop and rebuild this huge property.
He’s mentioned on The Sopranos in the context of when they are running — appropriately enough — a HUD scam.
“Eat my dust, Donald Trump.”
They mention him again a few seasons later, Ivana too, but that’s post-Apprentice.
ISTR this has been discussed here before and there is some genuine belief that this was a potshot at Fred Trump, who had also been the subject of a Woody Guthrie song in 1954.
1995
2000
2002
Yes.
One reason the story sayed with me was because there was a family in my hometown named Trump. They were dirt-poor trash, and had about a dozen kids, who were always in and out of jail. I thought, wow, a guy named Trump, who hasn’t cost the taxpayers an arm and a leg…