Donald Trump’s name just came off another New York property
Thursday, January 11, 2024, was a milestone in the dizzying fall of Donald Trump. Trump was in court making a fool out of himself trying to defend his business and name in a civil fraud trial in Manhattan. Meanwhile, across the city in the Bronx, the literal removal of Trump’s name from yet another property provided a split-screen reminder that Trump’s commanding presence in business and entertaining is ancient history.
Last year, after a lengthy legal battle, Bally’s Corporation bought Trump Golf Links’ lease at Ferry Point Park in the Bronx from the Trump Organization last year. As I wrote in September, that transaction meant it was only a matter of time until a large, stone “TRUMP LINKS” eyesore got bulldozed. A rebranding event on Thursday replaced the iconic landscaping with “BALLY LINKS,” ridding the Trump name from yet another locale that was dear to his business.
As the Trump name fell in the Bronx, it wasn’t doing much better in Manhattan. Under the gun for $370 million in potential damages plus an order to never again conduct business in New York State, Trump spent the day railing against the supposed injustice being thrust upon him by New York Attorney General Letitia James. During a break, a Daily News reporter asked Trump a question about the golf course name removal, and it’s no surprise that Trump refused to talk about it.
Between the legal battle in Manhattan and the rebranding ceremony in the Bronx, Trump was getting erased Thursday on many levels. While avoiding mentioning Trump by name, Mayor Eric Adams, in attendance for the name change, told the assemblage, “Let’s make sure this is a turning of a corner of the greatness of the great borough with great people that have great expectations.” Indeed, it’s not just the Bronx or even New York City — this nation has had enough.
Ron Leshnower is a lawyer and the author of several books, including President Trump’s Month