Trump was once paid by leaseholder in gold bars: book

Former President Trump was once paid with dozens of gold bars to cover the lease of a Manhattan parking garage he owned, according to a new book.

New York Times journalist Maggie Haberman’s forthcoming book, titled “Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America,” includes an episode detailing the payment and other business practices, according to an excerpt shared with CNN.

The book, which comes out on Oct. 4, chronicles Trump’s life as a New York City businessman to his eventual rise to the presidency. 

Trump’s businesses have come into the spotlight as they face legal scrutiny for their tax reporting and property value estimates.

New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) on Wednesday announced a $250 million civil fraud suit into the Trump family and the Trump Organization, claiming they misled investors and tax authorities. Multiple Trump family members have decried the investigation as being politically motivated.

Haberman’s book describes in detail the ascent of the Trump Organization, including an episode in which the leaseholder of the parking garage in Manhattan’s General Motors building sent Trump a box of dozens of gold bricks to cover the lease’s cash portion, according to CNN.

According to Haberman’s book, Trump told aides he didn’t know what to do with the gold bars and told his onetime security guard to wheel them up to his apartment in Trump Tower. It’s unclear what happened to the bars, according to CNN.

Trump called it “a fantasy question” when asked about the bricks’ fate, Haberman wrote, CNN reported.

In a previously reported excerpt from Haberman's book, Trump told aides following the 2020 presidential election that he would remain in the White House after President Biden’s inauguration.

Trump reportedly appeared to recognize he had lost to Biden in the immediate aftermath of the election but soon changed course, according to her book.