Donald Trump, in an astonishing account delivered on Thursday, recounted his near-death experience on a helicopter trip with Willie Brown, a former California politician and the ex-boyfriend of Vice President Kamala Harris.
At a press conference held at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump addressed the question of Harris’ previous relationship with Brown by mentioning an incident involving a chopper that ‘went down’.
As reported by RawStory, the former president revealed, “I went down in a helicopter with him. We thought maybe this was the end. We were in a helicopter going to a certain location together, and there was an emergency landing. This was not a pleasant landing. And Willie was — he was a little concerned. …CONTINUE READING
So I know him, but I know him pretty well. I mean, I haven’t seen him in years. But he told me terrible things about her. But this is what you’re telling me, anyway, I guess. But he had a big part in what happened with Kamala. But he — he, I don’t know, maybe he’s changed his tune. But he — he was not a fan of hers very much, at that point.”
However, Brown denied ever been on a helicopter ride with Trump. In a phone call with CNN, he mentioned, “He is trying his best to get some way to degrade Kamala. There is no reason why her name ought to be mentioned anywhere near his lies, period.” Later on Thursday, the New York Times article also claimed that the former president reportedly mixed up Willie Brown with Jerry Brown, the former governor of California, with whom he toured the devastation from wildfires in November 2018 by helicopter.
Harris and Brown’s relationship history began in the 90s and they reportedly dated from 1994 to 1995. Furthermore, People magazine stated in 1996 that Brown had been ‘estranged from his wife’ Blanche Brown since 1981, therefore Brown was married when he dated Harris, and their connection was public knowledge.
In 2019 Brown went so far as to write to the San Francisco Chronicle, acknowledging that he had appointed Harris to positions that benefited her career, and addressing their previous connection. He told the outlet, “Yes, we dated. It was more than 20 years ago.” He revealed at the time that he had been bombarded with calls from national media outlets on his ‘relationship’ with Kamala Harris, especially when it became clear that she would be running for the office.
According to another 1994 article in the Los Angeles Times, Harris was portrayed as Brown’s frequent companion and by others as Brown’s girlfriend. In addition, Herb Caen’s editorial for the SFGate was mentioned in that piece, referring to Harris as ‘the Speaker’s new steady.’ Harris at the time was only 29 years old and Brown was 60. Caen claimed that the pair broke up in 1995, which ‘flabbergasted’ those who thought Harris was the ideal complement to the mayor-elect’s vivacious personality.
