By David Cruz
Correspondent
“It’s going to be spectacular; it’s going to be a spectacular success.”
At the opening of one of his three casinos back in 1996, Donald Trump probably never thought those words would come back to haunt him, but 20 years later, presumed Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton stood on the Atlantic City boardwalk, in front of the shell of what was once Trump Plaza, to issue a stinging indictment of Trump’s Atlantic City legacy.
“We’re standing in front of the old Trump Plaza casino and hotel,” began Clinton. “Donald Trump once predicted it will be the biggest hit yet. Now it’s abandoned; you can just make out the word Trump where it used to be written in flashy lights. He had the letters taken down a few years ago but his presence remains. And not far from here is the old Trump Marina Hotel Casino. A few years ago it was sold at a huge loss.”
Repeating her refrain that Trump is unfit to lead, Clinton warned voters not to let trump do to America what he’d done to Atlantic City, saving a few jabs for Trump’s potential vice president and the current New Jersey governor.
“Now it is no secret that Atlantic City has gone through some tough times, but the people of AC are determined to turn things around,” she continued, “and if your governor would start doing his job instead of following Donald Trump around and holding his coat, maybe we could get New Jersey’s economy moving again.”
With all the Trump bashing, Clinton had little time to address the FBI investigation but for this partisan crowd that was perfectly fine.
“There’s 500 million emails missing from the Bush administration. Maybe we should have investigated him,” said Gail Biel of Atlantic City. “I feel that because she’s a woman they’re after her every which way. This woman has had more aggravation from the press and from the FBI, etc.”
Ventnor resident Herman Weinrich added, “If there are no charges to be filed what are you going to talk about? The whole thing was a waste of time and money.”
But, sprinkled in the Clinton crowd were a few Trump defenders.
“He has businesses; he’s successful,” Egg Harbor Township resident Patrick Yaeckel said. “She has no businesses, OK maybe one business, if she has any. He’s still putting the people to work, unlike her.”
While Trump tweeted some barbs at Clinton, the state GOP issued a statement saying Clinton’s “going to need more than card tricks to convince Americans that she was doing anything but gambling with our nation’s security by using a secret server as secretary of state.”
That FBI investigation may yet have a significant impact on this race, but on this sweltering afternoon in a town that has seen better days, Clinton was happy to make Trump the target and supporters were convinced that she hit a bulls-eye.