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”.