When working as a real estate developer in New York in the 1990s, President Donald Trump lobbied against a bill that would require all high-rise residential apartments to have sprinklers installed. On Saturday, one person was killed in a fire at Trump Tower. (Photo: Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images)
Trump Aggressively Fought Sprinkler System Law That Could Have Saved Man in Trump Tower Fire
While working as a powerful real estate developer in the 1990s, the president claimed he couldn't afford to install sprinkler systems in his high-rise apartment buildings
Though President Donald Trump has spent his career boasting of his wealth, he claimed in the 1990s that outfitting apartments in his residential high-rise buildings with sprinkler systems would be too expensive--and lobbied against regulations that may have been able to save the life of a man who was killed in a fire at Trump Tower on Saturday.
One person was killed and six firefighters were injured in the apartment fire that started on the 50th floor of the luxury building in New York. The apartment did not have a sprinkler system.
As a powerful real estate developer, Trump aggressively fought against a regulation that would have required all New York City high-rise residential buildings to have sprinklers installed. Although he claimed in 2000 to be worth $5 billion and others estimated he held about $1.6 billion, the New York Post reported in 1999 that Trump felt he couldn't afford to follow the safety measure.
According to the Huffington Post, he donated funds to the City Council speaker and personally called a dozen council members to convince them to vote against the rule.
When a sprinkler law was eventually passed, Trump was exempted from having to follow it at Trump Tower because the rule only stipulated that high-rises built after 1999 had to have sprinklers installed.
After the fire, the president tweeted that Trump Tower was "well-built" and made no mention of the deceased man.
Critics on social media slammed Trump's refusal to take safety precautions in his buildings.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Though President Donald Trump has spent his career boasting of his wealth, he claimed in the 1990s that outfitting apartments in his residential high-rise buildings with sprinkler systems would be too expensive--and lobbied against regulations that may have been able to save the life of a man who was killed in a fire at Trump Tower on Saturday.
One person was killed and six firefighters were injured in the apartment fire that started on the 50th floor of the luxury building in New York. The apartment did not have a sprinkler system.
As a powerful real estate developer, Trump aggressively fought against a regulation that would have required all New York City high-rise residential buildings to have sprinklers installed. Although he claimed in 2000 to be worth $5 billion and others estimated he held about $1.6 billion, the New York Post reported in 1999 that Trump felt he couldn't afford to follow the safety measure.
According to the Huffington Post, he donated funds to the City Council speaker and personally called a dozen council members to convince them to vote against the rule.
When a sprinkler law was eventually passed, Trump was exempted from having to follow it at Trump Tower because the rule only stipulated that high-rises built after 1999 had to have sprinklers installed.
After the fire, the president tweeted that Trump Tower was "well-built" and made no mention of the deceased man.
Critics on social media slammed Trump's refusal to take safety precautions in his buildings.
Though President Donald Trump has spent his career boasting of his wealth, he claimed in the 1990s that outfitting apartments in his residential high-rise buildings with sprinkler systems would be too expensive--and lobbied against regulations that may have been able to save the life of a man who was killed in a fire at Trump Tower on Saturday.
One person was killed and six firefighters were injured in the apartment fire that started on the 50th floor of the luxury building in New York. The apartment did not have a sprinkler system.
As a powerful real estate developer, Trump aggressively fought against a regulation that would have required all New York City high-rise residential buildings to have sprinklers installed. Although he claimed in 2000 to be worth $5 billion and others estimated he held about $1.6 billion, the New York Post reported in 1999 that Trump felt he couldn't afford to follow the safety measure.
According to the Huffington Post, he donated funds to the City Council speaker and personally called a dozen council members to convince them to vote against the rule.
When a sprinkler law was eventually passed, Trump was exempted from having to follow it at Trump Tower because the rule only stipulated that high-rises built after 1999 had to have sprinklers installed.
After the fire, the president tweeted that Trump Tower was "well-built" and made no mention of the deceased man.
Critics on social media slammed Trump's refusal to take safety precautions in his buildings.