Tate's Trump Trip: Questions Raised Over Mayor's Mar-a-Lago Dinner

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate's recent trip to the United States has come under scrutiny, particularly a dinner meeting with US President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, the president's Florida holiday retreat.

"He knew who I was, and he came up and called me Mr Mayor," Mr Tate later recalled.

The February dinner, according to Mr Tate, took place following the signing of a deal with a Queensland developer for a proposed Trump Tower on the Gold Coast.

Mr Tate described sharing tomahawk steaks and "expensive wine" with the president. "Mate, I had dinner with him," he told Triple M Gold radio about meeting the president.

However, conflicting accounts have emerged about the dinner. The White House has stated that the US president and First Lady Melania Trump "did not have dinner with that group" including the mayor.

An investigation has uncovered questions about the openness of the headline-making trip, which included multiple meetings with infrastructure officials in Dubai and a visit to Milan where Mr Tate was an official Games torchbearer.

The Gold Coast council itinerary for Mr Tate's trip includes separate briefing packs, outlining who he was meeting and details about their background.

However, there is a lack of information about what happened during Mr Tate's visit to Mar-a-Lago, with council documents only listing a four-word entry for a Friday: "Meeting with Trump Organization".

Mr Tate's office has stated that the trip was "private", and he has declined to answer many questions, only issuing statements.

The mayor has also changed his register declaration to say he personally paid for his accommodation and transfers, initially listing that the Trump Organization had covered these costs.

"My intention was always to personally fund any hospitality provided to me at Mar-a-Lago," he said in a statement.

The council trip cost ratepayers almost $33,000, and Mr Tate took a week-long private holiday in Barbados, flying in and out, allowed under council rules.

Mr Tate's office insisted that the Barbados side-trip was economical given his Los Angeles events.