
In a spectacle heavy with symbolism, the last remnant of Donald Trump’s Atlantic City empire has literally come crashing down in what was billed as a “Las Vegas-style implosion”.
Closing its doors in 2014, the Plaza was the first of three Atlantic City casinos owned by the now twice-impeached former president before his gambling empire in the city went bust, allegedly leaving an array of unpaid workers and suppliers among the fallout.
Now on Wednesday, just weeks after Trump begrudgingly departed the White House after a single term, ticketed viewers gathered to watch the decrepit building come tumbling down in a planned demolition.
While onlookers in the immediate vicinity were reportedly been charged $10, tens of thousands also tuned in online. “The city can’t be naive to think that no one will show up,” the city’s mayor Marty Small warned at a recent press conference.
Demonstrating the levels of schadenfreude on display, an auction over the privilege of pressing the button to ignite the thousands of sticks of dynamite saw bidding reach $175,000 before it was kiboshed by the property’s owner Carl Icahn.
The destruction could make way for “greenscapes” and provide access to the city’s boardwalk and ocean for non-gambling visitors to the “new” Atlantic City, according to a previous state report.
Unsurprisingly, people couldn’t help but joke about the demolition.
I'm sure this is a metaphor for something... https://t.co/raWnlxkCdk— Buzz Jackson (@Buzz Jackson) 1613567037
Was the dust from the explosion orange? https://t.co/k24ipwQ2dw— Not On My Watch (@Not On My Watch) 1613567094
That pretty much sums up the last 4 years https://t.co/rlYMnuOPLG— Carla Hirschfeld (@Carla Hirschfeld) 1613571438
Watching Trump Plaza in Atlantic City implode has been a wonderful way to start the day.— Bart Leib (@Bart Leib) 1613571006
Bye bye Trump Plaza! That was so satisfying. https://t.co/0g628toAkF— Mark Powlett (@Mark Powlett) 1613571013
@Olivianuzzi @gtconway3d Live look at the trump tower demolition https://t.co/tSKGVqeCfb— RKMillan (@RKMillan) 1613570808
@nycjim Hope this is a symbolic precursor to the rest of his life— JusticeB4Unity (@JusticeB4Unity) 1613564695
Monuments to racists are being torn down all over, notes @DavidCornDC.— Michael Beschloss (@Michael Beschloss) 1613571553
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