Trump executive says ‘presidential premium’ was floated to boost net worth

Former president Donald Trump at Palm Beach County Convention Center in Florida (Rebecca Blackwell/AP/PA)

Donald Trump’s top corporate deputies considered adding a “presidential premium” to his properties during his White House years, which would have padded his net worth by nearly 145 million dollars (£120 million), an executive at the former president’s company has told a court.

Trump Organisation assistant vice president Patrick Birney told Mr Trump’s New York civil fraud trial that they ended up scrapping the idea, but state lawyers contend that merely going through the exercise underscores how Mr Trump and his underlings were intent on finding ways to improve his bottom line.