Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate told an ABC reporter to "f*** off" on Tuesday when questioned about who paid for his trip to Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in February. Tate had attended a dinner at the Florida property to witness a deal between Eric Trump, Executive Vice President of the Trump Organization, and David Young, CEO of Australia's Altus Property Group, for a Trump Tower project on the Gold Coast that has since been abandoned.
During a press conference, the ABC reporter asked Tate if he had received "mates rates" for his stay at Mar-a-Lago. Tate initially responded that the trip was "private." When the reporter pressed further, stating that he had gone as mayor, Tate became agitated, asked if the reporter was from the ABC, and then used the expletive before leaving the conference.
Deputy Mayor Mark Hammel, who took over the press conference, acknowledged Tate's behavior was inappropriate, stating, "It's not appropriate behaviour in any circumstance. I appreciate the Mayor was worked up, it's not appropriate language." Hammel also noted that while he respected the Mayor's decision to keep parts of the trip private, he suspected the matter was not yet concluded.
Questions have persisted regarding the cost of Tate's trip and whether President Trump was present at the dinner. Tate's register of interests initially indicated that the Trump Organization covered the costs of his two-day stay, including meals, accommodation, and transfers, listing it under "gifts valued at $500 or more." This was later amended to show Mar-a-Lago Club Inc. as the payer. Tate has since repaid the expenses, and the register has been updated to reflect that he covered all costs himself. Tate's office stated that the visit was private and all associated costs were paid privately by him, claiming he had not received an invoice upon checkout and had initially listed the expenses out of "an abundance of caution."
Roland Evans, a business associate of Tate and a real estate agent, claimed that both he and Tate had dinner with President Trump at Mar-a-Lago. However, the White House and the Trump Organization denied this, calling such reports "a fabrication" and "categorically false" any rumors that the President dined with them. These sources stated that Trump briefly spoke with the group on the patio about the Gold Coast deal before moving to a separate area for his own dinner.