Tate Apologizes for Swearing, Stands by Trump Dinner Claim

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate has apologized for using a swear word during a press conference, while maintaining his account of having dinner with US President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago earlier this year.

The mayor's recollection of the dinner has been disputed by the Trump Organization, which has described his account as a "complete fabrication." Mr. Tate told reporters that he had a conversation with President Trump about tariffs and Australia's movie industry before dinner at the Florida resort.

"I was out of line, using a swear word, even though being frustrated … when you wear the mayoralty role you've got to rise above that, and for that, I didn't do my job," he said.

Mr. Tate said he had dinner with President Trump and described sharing tomahawk steaks and drinking expensive wine. However, the Trump Organization has disputed this account, stating that President Trump "did not have dinner with that group" including Mr. Tate.

"President Trump has never had dinner with Mayor Tate," a Trump Organization spokesperson said. "While the president was on the patio, he briefly said hello to the mayor's table, as he typically does with guests at Mar-a-Lago. He then proceeded to a separate dinner that had absolutely nothing to do with Mayor Tate or his event."

Despite the conflicting accounts, Mr. Tate remains adamant that his recollection of the dinner is accurate. He described having a conversation with the president "before dinner, outside the dining room" that touched on tariffs and Australia's movie industry.

"There's many other conversations I had with the president, with Eric, with Lara (Trump, Eric's wife), and I still have the belief that what went on during that dinner function, I didn't want to betray … the privacy there," he said.

Mr. Tate played down any damage to business deals, saying he was "not having a war with the Trump Organization." The mayor's trip to Florida was funded by ratepayers, and he has faced controversy over his initial recording of the trip in gift registers.