The fall of a leader with authoritarian instincts is usually symbolized by the fall of statues and the looting of palaces. For Donald Trump, perhaps inevitably, it was the collapse of a failed casino.
On Wednesday, the former Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, was reduced to rubble in 20 seconds by 3,000 dynamite sticks. The building was in such a bad condition that pieces of the building had fallen to the ground.
The casino opened in 1984 during a golden decade for Trump and other kings of capitalism. It hosted parties for many Hollywood actors, rock stars and athletes. But after several bankruptcies, Trump severed ties with the property in 2009.
By the time it finally closed in 2014, Trump Plaza was the worst-performing casino in Atlantic City. A year later, Trump announced his candidacy for US president, often citing Atlantic City as proof of his business acumen.
The end of the Plaza came around 9am yesterday morning with a series of explosions. The building collapsed and a large cloud of dust covered the famous Atlantic City beach and promenade. There was applause from many people who had paid $ 10 to see it from their cars. "I have chills. This is a historic moment. It was exciting," Marty Small, the mayor who described the abandoned building as an eye-pain, told the Associated Press.
Small estimated that the remaining pile of rubble was about eight storeys high and would be removed by June 10th. Some of them can be used by environmentalists interested in building artificial reefs off the coast of Atlantic City.
The article was adapted by The Guardian
