Have you ever spoken with Trump one on one behind closed doors?

Mark Emerson: Former Chief of Staff within the House of Representatives. NYC English LLC. Lives in Park City, UT

Yes. I spoke to him face-to-face in his Trump tower office in 2012.

Two things remain in my mind on that meeting:

I was struck by his office (his personal one) it is relatively small. Considering he built the building we were meeting in, I thought for sure he would have the top penthouse and a massive personal office. He didn’t. His company offices are midway up the Trump tower and most of the floor is dedicated to staff and operations of Trump Inc His office is the size of a typical home’s master bedroom. It overlooked Central Park and has amazing in its view. Its furniture almost seemed retro, being that it was chrome and glass and in a style 20 years ago. Wouldn’t surprise me if its the same furniture he’s had for years.

Second thing. He couldn’t have been nicer.

He was a good listener, he exchanged ideas and appreciated counter ideas and comments. He wanted to learn the big picture on the topic we were meeting on.

He was clearly smart, fast on the uptake and as I said, nice. At the end of the one hour meeting he walked us out to the lobby shook hands, made typical cordial comments and then arranged for one of his cars to take care of us the rest of the day (instead of taxis).

The thoughtful Trump that I see in meetings broadcast across the news is the same Trump I met that day.

Clifton Shepherd, Owner & Founder at SheepDog Society LLC. Studied at Rowan University. Lives in Pagosa Springs.

I met Donald Trump in July of 1993 at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City.

I was in the Army and home on a weekend leave before I shipped off overseas.

My mom and dad were really excited about the Sultan’s Feast Buffet and wanted to take me and my fiancée (at the time) Jennifer for the great food and an evening to enjoy the boardwalk, beach, and sights.

We were the only people coming up the escalator and when we got to the top, there was Donald Trump talking to two men about business, I guess.

When he looked over at us, he told the two guys to hold on and walked over to us and welcomed us to the Taj Mahal.

He shook my dad’s hand and pulled him in for a hug, kissed my mom on the cheek, nodded at Jennifer and shook my hand. He noticed my dog tags and asked me if I was in the military of which I responded that I was.

He asked us why we came, if we were there to play the slots and thanked us for coming.

My mom told him we were there for the buffet and he smiled. He told us to go to the cashier and get her attention towards him because the buffet was only down the hall.

When we did, he gestured for her to let us all in. The buffet at that time was like $65 a person and he paid for my family to enjoy the buffet for free. That’s what I remember about that meeting.

They call him racist and all kinds of names, but he didn’t take a second thought about hugging my dad who was Black and my mom who was White.

I seen a great and humble man that day in Donald Trump and that is why I support him 110% and voted for him.

He truly is a great man.

Donald Trump Atlantic City Taj Mahal Casino beautiful

Clifton Shepherd, Owner & Founder at SheepDog Society LLC. Studied at Rowan University. Lives in Pagosa Springs.

I met Donald Trump in July of 1993 at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City.

I was in the Army and home on a weekend leave before I shipped off overseas.

My mom and dad were really excited about the Sultan’s Feast Buffet and wanted to take me and my fiancée (at the time) Jennifer for the great food and an evening to enjoy the boardwalk, beach, and sights.

We were the only people coming up the escalator and when we got to the top, there was Donald Trump talking to two men about business, I guess.

When he looked over at us, he told the two guys to hold on and walked over to us and welcomed us to the Taj Mahal.

He shook my dad’s hand and pulled him in for a hug, kissed my mom on the cheek, nodded at Jennifer and shook my hand. He noticed my dog tags and asked me if I was in the military of which I responded that I was.

He asked us why we came, if we were there to play the slots and thanked us for coming.

My mom told him we were there for the buffet and he smiled. He told us to go to the cashier and get her attention towards him because the buffet was only down the hall.

When we did, he gestured for her to let us all in. The buffet at that time was like $65 a person and he paid for my family to enjoy the buffet for free. That’s what I remember about that meeting.

They call him racist and all kinds of names, but he didn’t take a second thought about hugging my dad who was Black and my mom who was White.

I seen a great and humble man that day in Donald Trump and that is why I support him 110% and voted for him.

He truly is a great man.

Rachel M Johanson: worked at Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

In 2008 I was the Quality Control Coordinator for a top 10 startup in NY.

Mr. Trump hired my company for a project and he asked to speak with me.

We spent about 20 minutes alone in my office discussing our contract and the best way to coordinate the activities and responsibilities of the workers.

I did not know much about Mr. Trump at the time other than his celebrity and business status.

I was pleasantly surprised when he listened to everything I had to say, made eye contact with me the entire time and asked many questions of me. Finally he said “I’m confident that you are the right person for the job”.

I saw him again about 3 weeks later while I was waiting for an elevator in our building. The doors opened and he exited the elevator with our CEO and two other men I did not know. He stopped when he saw me, shook my hand, said “Hello Rachel” and introduced me to the other two men (two attorneys).

He said “Thanks for doing such a great job, I knew you would. Guys, you know why she’s so valuable? She under-promises and over-delivers.”

Sorry if you were hoping that I’d tell you he stuck a dollar bill in my bra.

Question: Have you ever spoken with Trump one on one behind closed doors?

Emerson Stubbs: Architect, Consultant, Hardline Libertarian Centrist, fastidious factualist, anti consumerist.

Yes I have. I was on a team of architects responsible for designing a new structure to be built at a vineyard estate owned by the Trump corporation. They had a very specific period look in mind, and didn’t want it to look new or modern in any way, it had to fit with the atmosphere they were trying to create.

Donald Trump came to view the plans and models in person, and as the period architecture specialist, it fell to me to explain the designs and discuss the project with him. We had quite a productive dialogue about the project and what he wanted from the end result.

One thing that struck me about DJT was his willingness to defer to an expert. I’ve dealt with plenty of clients that think they know everything, Trump is not one of these. He’s very good at asking the right questions and articulating what he wants, then standing back to allow someone to tell him how those results can be achieved. If he’s seen something done differently by another expert, he’ll say so, but then give you time to explain. He came off as finding the whole process interesting, and seemed to thoroughly enjoy the meeting.

He was polite, articulate, intelligent, jovial, and surprisingly humble for a billionaire. He certainly wasn’t what I was expecting – I was expecting the character I’d seen on the apprentice.

architectural design firm working with Trump business relationships

I am one of 500 members of the Mar-a-Lago Club.

As a result, I have SOME insight into how the Secret Service deals with President Trump’s security however I will not now, nor ever, disclose anything I feel would place the President in jeopardy.

First of all, I’ve been asked if the POTUS is profiting from his office. In fact, he’s losing quite a bit from it. As one example, there are about 30 private rooms that are available for rent to members at Mar-a-Lago (MaL). Prior to Trump’s election these were rented to member’s family and friends. After the election they are rarely if ever made available to the public. This is due to security issues. This is just one of the many losses of income to the Trump organization. Prior to Donald Trump’s election, these rooms were at 100% occupancy with a very long waiting list.

These rooms are not going unused however. They are currently being used by top level government officials; Chief of Staff, Press Secretary, Cabinet Members, etc. In addition, the Secret Service uses some of the properties owned by MaL that are located on the street north of the Club.

In all likelihood they are staying in local hotels and motels. The rooms at MaL were never cheap, but Trump is allowing these governmental guests to stay, without charge!

As a club member I come into contact with President Trump quite often during his visits to MaL. He is a very nice person. You WILL NOT find any of the MaL employees that do not like him. He treats his employees like family. He is a very bright person. His mind moves at light speed. The Club itself runs like a well-oiled machine! If Donald Trump sees a piece of trash on the ground; he will pick it up and put it in the trash, I’ve seen him do it! (well…at least prior to becoming President). This is the kind of a person he is. If he sees a problem, he fixes it. He doesn’t sit around a whine about it. It’s this mentality that’s helped him to accomplish so much, in such a small amount of time in the face of great turmoil.

President Donald J Trump is one the best businessmen I’ve ever met.

My first meeting with him was long before he became President of the United States of America. His “sales machine” at MaL was so well tuned as to be beyond belief.

I told business associates of my experience for many years prior to his decision to run for office. I have also heard similar stories from my friends and colleagues who have had the pleasure of dealing with him.

Lastly, there is a great deal of discussion about President Trump being a racist. MaL is, for the most part, the ONLY club in Palm Beach that allows members without regard to race or religion. ALL of the other clubs are segregated.

At MaL, if you can afford the membership; you can be a member. That is one of the top reasons I became a member.

I considered membership at another club but was told that my Jewish girlfriend (I’m not Jewish) “could be a problem”.

My response? “I guess I’ll go see if Mr. Trump will accept me and my Jewish girlfriend at MaL as members”. I then left that “exclusive” club and never graced their door again.

We have many Latino, Jewish, African American and Asian members at The Mar-a-Lago Club. It’s the Crown Jewel of Palm Beach!

I’m proud to be a member and I’m proud to have been able to associate with Donald Trump.

G. Eppers.

Mar a Lago Staff Racial Diversity Club Trump Family races