Thornton newspaper man’s dates with Trump at the White House
![Damian Bates at the White House Oval Office with Donald Trump. Credit: Damian Bates](https://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/webimg/legacy_ash_110139261.jpg?crop=3:2,smart&width=640&quality=65&enable=upscale)
![Damian Bates at the White House Oval Office with Donald Trump. Credit: Damian Bates](/img/placeholder.png)
A Thornton man and former newspaper editor has co-written a book detailing a behind the scenes account of US president Donald Trump’s business dealings.
Damian Bates, 50, interviewed the President in person several times for the book, alongside his co-author George Sorial, who is executive vice president and chief compliance counsel for the Trump Organisation.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdMr Bates grew up in Rossendale Avenue North and went to Cardinal Allen Catholic High School, Fleetwood and St Mary’s High School, Layton, but now lives near Aberdeen, where he used to edit the Press and Journal paper.
![The book can be bought on Amazon](https://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/webimg/legacy_ash_110139262.jpg?crop=3:2,smart&width=640&quality=65)
![The book can be bought on Amazon](/img/placeholder.png)
It was during his time there he first met Mr Trump, who was then planning to build his Trump International Golf Links course, which would later open in 2012.
He described him as a very different person to how the US media portrays him, and said he still speaks with him on a regular basis.
He said: “I’ve known [him] for more than a decade and have dined with him at The White House, Mar-a-Lago and many of his golf clubs. I last saw him when he announced he was standing for re-election in Orlando a month or so ago.”
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdMr Bates said Mr Trump, who regularly calls critical news coverage “fake news”, told him he had “always treated him fairly” and insisted he had never asked for approval or an upfront
copy of the book.
Mr Trump tweeted about the book in June and said: “It is written by two people who are very smart and know me well, George Sorial and Damian Bates, as opposed to all the books where the author has no clue who I am.”
‘The Real Deal’ is available to buy on the Amazon website