Atlantic City auctions off chance to hit Big Red Button and make grotesque Trump Plaza casino go boom

Off he went with a Trumpety-Trump. Trump, Trump, Trump. It's all we've heard for the past four years, and if the pandemic has done an iota of good, it's to have wrested some of the news agenda off the United States' lunatic ex-president. Sure, he had some time in the sun whining about how Joe Biden got more votes than him – …

[Loyal Commenter]

"Made a lot of money and got out"

In Trump's world, this apparently equates to "ran a casino into bankruptcy". A casino, where the business model is that people turn up and give you their money.

Now, if he did actually make money from it, I'm sure both his creditors, and the IRS would be interested to hear about how much, and what happened to it.

[EveryTime]

Re: "Made a lot of money and got out"

A subset of owners almost certainly did make money overall. And the parties with "losses" likely did pretty well.

If it is your goal, it's easy to make lots of revenue go out the side door, rather than show up as profit. Then the primary corporation folds with a giant paper loss, generating tax benefits for the shareholders and bad loan write-off tax benefits for the lenders.

Trump accumulated tax-credit 'losses' wildly in excess of his investments through the 1980s and 1990s. Those losses were part of his tax avoidance through at least 2014.

[alain williams]

Will Trump be tied up in the basement ?

If not then it will not be worth bidding!

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Will Trump be tied up in the basement ?

It won't even have the Trump name on it. They should at least hang a big Trump Plaza banner before it goes boom.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Will Trump be tied up in the basement ?

For an additional promotional consideration you could probably paint whatever you want on it. Trump balloon baby might also be available to to put in an appearance.

[Alistair]

The Question of the Day for this

Considering the number of "You're fired" moments from 2016 to 2020, has any of the fired placed a bid? Or perhaps any ex partners (of any sort)?

[macjules]

Re: The Question of the Day for this

I should think that Trump himself will be bidding. Of course one would hope that the charity will ensure cleared funds before letting him near the BRB.

[Mike 137]

The possibilities are ...

"This will be done remotely and can be done anywhere in the world"

I wonder if someone will find a way to hack it ahead of schedule?

[sanmigueelbeer]

Re: The possibilities are ...

I wonder if someone will find a way to hack it ahead of schedule?

Password: MAGA2020

[chivo243]

Re: The possibilities are ...

I thought i read it was Maga2020! No, seriously, I didn't try it, I swear! Truthfully!

[Jason Bloomberg]

Re: The possibilities are ...

IWON2020

[John Brown (no body)]

Re: The possibilities are ...

4MORYRS!

Icon most like Trump ---------->

[zuckzuckgo]

Re: The possibilities are ...

> Icon most like Trump ---------->

Not orange enough.

[sanmigueelbeer]

Re: The possibilities are ...

ILLBEBACK2024

[teknopaul]

Re: The possibilities are ...

ILLBEOUT2024

[IGotOut]

I know who will win this

Ren Zhengfei

Just imagine the smile on his face.

Of course, Trump will say it's a victory for him and how much money he made for the charity with his name alone.

Or he'll just sue as usual.

[Anonymous Custard]

Re: I know who will win this

My money's on Xi Jinping to take the prize...

[FlavioStanchina]

is Biden bidding?

[A. Coatsworth]

Biden already demolished him, and without even waking up...

[Anonymous Coward]

Any of you have an itchy trigger finger?

easy now, still a few weeks to go! Any time by then and the eager beavers might find themselves against the wrong end of the barrel ;)

[Spanners]

Will DT keep all hist titles?

I know that, in the USA, they like to refer to previous incumbents as President - even Nixon got this.

Will we still be allowed to refer to Trump as SCROTUS?

[Corporate Scum]

Re: Will DT keep all hist titles?

Please lets all push to strip him of the title of president, former president, and commander in chief. He refused to do the job when he was in office, we can take the privilege back from him for killing more Americans than Vietnam or Cancer.

That said, you can refer to him as SCROTUS whenever you want. You've earned it.

[DS999]

Re: Will DT keep all hist titles?

I'm more concerned that they except him from the practice of giving former presidents the presidential daily briefing. The logic is that the current president may ask past presidents for advice so they need to know the situation when that happens.

Trump never read it in the first place, is known to have given up secrets to the Russian ambassador inside the oval office (but his apologists pointed out that's not illegal since the president can declassify anything he wants) and there is exactly zero chance any future president will ask his advice about anything other than perhaps how to pay off women they've had sex with.

Though I have to admit part of me wants to see him keep getting it, but with a few modifications made to put honeypot secrets in there that will be irresistible for him to offer up to his buddies like Putin or MBS - something that we'll be able to tell if they've received by their actions (like listing someone close to Putin as a double agent, then seeing if that person suddenly disappears) Any pardon Trump may have tried to give himself or got from Pence in a last minute deal wouldn't help him from that prosecution!

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Will DT keep all hist titles?

Will we still be allowed to refer to Trump as SCROTUS?

We usually called it IMPOTUS - IMpeached Pustulent Old Twaddle Uttering Shitshow.

[codejunky]

Good idea

This is a great way to make a fool part with their money, but had it been done so every grudge holder could pay towards it (have a stick of dynamite with your name on it by donating) a lot more money could be raised.

[Shadow Systems]

Re: Good idea

How much for a block of C4? *Cough* Asking for a friend... *Cackle*

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Good idea

I'll add a side of Borax, magnesium, and Iron filings. let's make it festive and add sparkles and some green flames!

[hayzoos]

Re: Good idea

Good idea in concept, but a controlled implosion calls for a fairly precise amount of explosives meticulously placed. I'm afraid if your plan were implemented, Pennsylvania would suddenly have beach front property.

[Doctor Syntax]

Bad timing

"The winning bidder during the live auction on 19 January will have the honour of tearing it down 10 days later. "

I really hope that 10 is a typo for 1.

[skeptical i]

Re: Bad timing

Hrm, maybe it's to give the winner the option of pressing The Button in person? Might not be as easy to jump a plane to get anywhere overnight these days, and if I had the money to win the auction I'd want to do the deed in person. With extreme prejudice.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Bad timing

Indeed. Doing it on the 20th, just after the inauguration of Biden, would have been perfect.

[Commswonk]

Point of Order

I am still pondering the physics of making a building implode.

Explode, or collapse, OK... but implode?

What is there that when a button is pushed or a mouse clicked generates an enormous vacuum inside a building so that it implodes?

Perhaps I should get out more. And perhaps the coat should be white and flapping... :)

[Jellied Eel]

Re: Point of Order

What is there that when a button is pushed or a mouse clicked generates an enormous vacuum inside a building so that it implodes?

Maybe a prototype of Elon Musk's Hypeloop.. Or not, as that would generate both negative pressure and publicity. ThunderF00t's been having more fun fisking that venture on his YT channel.

Otherwise I wonder if the last throws of the Presidency would allow Trump to order a MOAB dropped on it given FAED's are sorta implosion devices. But sadly the reality is it just means the demolition's rigged to make the building collapse inwards instead of outwards. Hopefully.

[MiguelC]

Re: Point of Order

« The term "implosion" was coined by my grandmother back in, I guess, the '60s. It's a more descriptive way to explain what we do than "explosion". There are a series of small explosions, but the building itself isn't erupting outward. It's actually being pulled in on top of itself. What we're really doing is removing specific support columns within the structure and then cajoling the building in one direction or another, or straight down.»

— Stacy Loizeaux, NOVA, December 1996

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Point of Order

So you're saying it's the opposite of Fred Dibnah (RIP) taking down a chimney. I'm sorta with ya.

[Natalie Gritpants Jr]

Re: Point of Order

Didn't know he had died, he will be missed.

[Arthur the cat]

Re: Point of Order

Didn't know he had died, he will be missed.

16 years ago. Do keep up.

[Doctor Syntax]

Re: Point of Order

Yes. It was a repeat you were watching on BBC4.

[Fruit and Nutcase]

Jeff Bezos...

can you spare a bit of loose change to give to a good cause? Probably tax deductible too - Trump would approve.

"The iconic Trump Tower has been renamed Amazon Tower after being purchased... byJeff Bezos"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=97&v=53nyFuGdlEk

(link set to start at 1:37 into video)

"The President Gets Evicted From The White House" - The President Show

[Chris G]

Hey!

"Anyone speak Korean? There's a guy here I think wants to bid on pressing the button."

[Fruit and Nutcase]

Re: Hey!

He may even be willingwanting to supply a suitable "explosive device"

[Velv]

The Art of The Deal

I tried reading Trump's The Art Of The Deal. It's long. really long. It's got 29 Chapter 11s.

[s. pam]

I just tweeted the event to joe biden

i thought he may have a supporter that would like the honour to do that for him, or give him the button as a coronation pressie

[Kev99]

How about timing it for 11:59 AM on January 20, 2021? So appropriate.

[DS999]

And put the button

On top of the bible that Biden is sworn in with! And it wouldn't be a terrible thing if it was miswired and blew up Mar-A-Lago instead.

[Tom 7]

Re: And put the button

Apparently Trump was going to live in Mar-A-Lago once kicked out of the WH. Turns out he's only allowed to spend 3 consecutive weeks there in a year - part of the planning permission.

[EveryTime]

Re: And put the button

According the Washington Post story, the limit is no more than 7 days consecutively and no more than 21 days a year. It applies to any guest, not Trump specifically, but Trump's attorney at the planning meeting did specifically agree that Trump would adhere to the restrictions.

Curiously, it throws Trump's Florida mail-in vote into question. He arguably voted illegally, since his proper domicile should be either New York or Washington D.C. For 2017 and 2018 he spent a total of 69 days in Florida, which was not enough to establish new residency when it still had a stronger presence in New York.

[DS999]

Re: And put the button

It won't happen with Florida's republican governor and AG, but it sure would have been funny if Trump was prosecuted for an illegal absentee vote in Florida!

[Diogenes]

Not ex President yet

He is is still President until 11:59 on Jan 20

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Not ex President yet

And yet he didn't actually do the job a single day he was in office. Can we claw that back pay away from him, and maybe bill for expenses and back rent? I'm sure he'll just trick people into donating the money to him, but that's a self punishing mistake at least.

[Helcat]

Re: Not ex President yet

"Can we claw that back pay away from him"

Apparently he didn't get paid. Might be wrong about that, but it was one of the things about Trump that, if true, I'd approve of.

[Fruit and Nutcase]

Re: Not ex President yet

He did state that he was not going to take a salary. However, a lot of Trump properties did benefit from both US Government payments for services - such as accommodating staff at Mar-a-lago, and other persons - both foreign and domestic politicians and business people spending money at Trump properties such as the hotel near the White House. So, forgoing the salary of the POTUS is small change compared to the benefit he has received elsewhere

https://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2018-03-05/how-is-donald-trump-profiting-from-the-presidency-let-us-count-the-ways

[DrXym]

Personal anecdote

Fun fact 1: Trump's casinos received record fines for money laundering conducted on their premises by Russian gangs. Fun fact 2: His casinos were so boring and garish that they lost money hand over fist.

If you can't turn a profit in a casino then either you're a crook and/or incompetent.

[Kane]

Re: Personal anecdote

"If you can't turn a profit in a casino then either you're a crook and/or incompetent."

Nah, even when crooks run casinos, they make money. They're not as daft.

[DrXym]

Re: Personal anecdote

Sensible casino operators realise they can make scads of money by operating in a scrupulously fair and legal fashion because the odds always favour the house. The trick is to make the casino attractive not just for gambling but the overall experience - hotel rooms, entertainment, dining etc.

The fact that Trump couldn't even manage that and they flopped and acted as fronts for criminal gangs says a lot about his incompetence.

[Winkypop]

Joint effort

Maybe a benefactor could pay for a bunch of kids in the Boys and Girls Club to all push a giant red button.

2021

Less Donald

Boom!

Yes please.

[sanmigueelbeer]

Irritated by loss, Trump hunkers down at the White House and avoids talk of future

Reuters: Irritated by loss, Trump hunkers down at the White House and avoids talk of future

Trump faces a range of civil and criminal legal actions related to his family’s businesses and his activities before he took office, which could accelerate once he loses the legal protections granted the occupant of the Oval Office.

[Tom 7]

He's still lunatic president

till 20/1/21 I believe.

[Anonymous Coward]

Can we push the button while the Orange Menace is IN the tower? PPPPPllllleeeeeeeaaaaaasssssseeeee?!?!?!!?!?!