Trump Tower on Gold Coast scrapped because brand 'toxic to Australians'

The Surfers Paradise development has been abandoned with Altus Property Group and the Trump Organization blaming each other The little-known property developer and the US president’s son were all smiles when they shook hands on Valentine’s Day within the gilded walls of Mar-a-Lago on a deal they claimed would bring a Trump Tower to Australia’s Gold Coast. But that dalliance has been dashed in less than three months, with the developer now claiming the Trump brand is now too “toxic” to work with – and the Trump Organization responding that their local partner had provided only “empty promise, after empty promise”. After posting a picture of himself shaking hands with Eric Trump in February, Altus Property Group’s David Young wrote effusively about a Trump brand that he said was synonymous with luxury and quality, one that would help him build the tallest tower and “the best” resort in the country. The Trump Organization’s executive vice-president and the US president’s second son tweeted an image of a proposed $1.5bn shimmering monolith emblazoned with his family name rising like a mirage above the towers of the glitter strip. “I am so proud to announce w