If they were not legitimate and were also used to fund Mr. Trump’s presidential run, they could be considered illegal campaign contributions. Mr. Trump loved the idea, Mr. Ruffin told Forbes in a 2017 interview. More definitively, there is no mention of it in Mr. Trump’s tax records. “He’s driving me crazy,” Mr. Trump said of Mr. Ruffin at a February 2016 rally after winning the Nevada caucuses. As for Mr. Ruffin, his spokeswoman said Mr. Ruffin and the president “are friends and talk about numerous subjects.” She added Mr. Ruffin does not have a financial stake in the train.

Source: International New York Times October 09, 2020 15:26 UTC