Sen. Jim Whelan (D-Atlantic) said Trump’s legacy in the city is a “mixed one.”
“The notion that he was somehow responsible for the success that Atlantic City had is not accurate” says Whelan (D-Atlantic), who was the city’s mayor in the 1990s. “Nor is he responsible for the problems we now have.”
Whelan said Atlantic City already had casino gambling for several years when Trump arrived, adding: “It’s not like he was a pioneer.” And like other critics, Whelan faults Trump for leaving some of his lenders with only cents on the dollar in the wake of the bankruptcies.
“People got hurt,” the senator said.
Still, Whelan and other experts note that Trump was also hampered by an issue that hurt nearly every casino operator in Atlantic City: increased competition up and down the East Coast.
Read full story. NJ.com > Trump’s Controversial Time in AC.