Donald Trump in a 1991 phone interview. (Photo : YouTube / R1ProductionHouse)
GOP presumptive presidential nominee Donald Trump denied allegations that he posed as his own spokesman decades ago. In the 1980s, Trump had the habit of returning reporters' calls and would act as a bogus spokesman for the Trump organization. He would take the name "John Miller" or "John Barron" or "John Baron."
On June 26, 1991, a spokesman of Trump had a phone interview with Sue Carswell, who was then a reporter of People. When Carswell played the taped interview for the friends of Trump, including his then girlfriend Marla Maples, they were unanimous it was Trump himself. Carswell noted it in her story for People's July 8, 1991 issue.
Later that month, Trump called Carswell to admit and apologize that his so-called spokesman, John Miller who called weeks earlier, was him. He invited the reporter and a colleague out of town to make amends.
Such issue surfaced lately, when The Washington Post reported that the now presumptive Republican presidential nominee admitted he impersonated a bogus spokesman. Carswell said she is not responsible for the leak and suspects it was Trump himself who did it. The politician denied on the May 13 episode of "Today" show that it was not him on the phone.
Carswell called Trump's office in 1991 regarding a story in the New York Post which claimed that he dumped his then girlfriend, Marla Maples for Carla Bruni, a singer and songwriter. After a while, a man called Carswell, introduced himself as John Miller from Trump's office. While Trump gave Maples a ring which she thought was an engagement one, Miller said Trump meant such as a friendship ring.
He added Trump was approached by bunch of women like Kim Basinger and Madonna. While the phone conversation was ongoing, the reporter heard Miller making some outrageous comments and said the woman Trump would end up with will be lucky indeed. His comments became strange for Carswell since the voice sounded like Trump and when she brought it up, Miller changed subject.
After about two weeks, Trump called Carswell back and apologized for a "joke gone awry." When he and Maples reconciled, the latter convinced him to apologize for disrespect for the magazine. People revealed Trump's apology in a story while Trump invited Carswell and her friend to join him and Maples for a night out on town.
Here's the video of Trump and Carswell's phone conversation.
