00:00I think I became more famous because of the Wollman Rink.
00:03I told the story of the Wollman Rink.
00:05When I did the Wollman Rink.
00:07Even when I was doing the Wollman Rink, the city couldn't build it.
00:10The Wollman Rink in Central Park is a New York City landmark,
00:14and since 1986, it's been operated by the Trump Organization.
00:18That is, until this happened.
00:19President of the United States directed a mob against the United States Capitol,
00:30against the Congress, while it was engaging in a constitutional lawful electoral college vote count.
00:37In light of this criminal act, the city of New York has determined that it is within our power
00:44to terminate all contracts with the Trump Organization.
00:48This is the story of Donald Trump and his ice skating rink.
00:51Long a source of pride for him, but now one of the losses stacking up
00:54after his followers stormed the Capitol.
00:56The Wollman Rink opened in 1950, but by the 1970s, it was in need of serious repairs.
01:02New York City spent about $12 million over six years trying to fix it, but the project failed.
01:09Enter a then 39-year-old real estate developer, Donald Trump.
01:12He made a public offer to Mayor Ed Koch to take over the renovations.
01:17He said that he would fix the rink if he was able to run it as well.
01:20I went to see Ed Koch and he said, I'm not going to let you do it.
01:25And then I went to see some of the newspapers.
01:27I went to the editorial board and they did editorials.
01:31You have to let them do it. You have to let them do it.
01:33Anyway, they let me do it. I took over the project.
01:36Trump was able to reconstruct the Wollman Rink in only four months and under budget.
01:40I got everybody together and we got it done.
01:44And to this day, it's the most successful ice skating rink.
01:46I still run it. I run it.
01:48Nobody, every time it comes up, the city, they don't want to take any chances.
01:52But I've run it for many years and it's the number one in the world and it does great.
01:56The Wollman Rink became a part of Trump's political identity.
01:59During his 2016 presidential campaign, he liked telling the story of how he rescued it.
02:04When I was young, a young man in New York, we had a problem called a skating rink.
02:10It took eight years.
02:12Everyone knows the Wollman Skating Rink.
02:14They now study it in all the business schools.
02:16They're all nodding their heads. We all studied it.
02:18I didn't study it, but I did it.
02:20Remember the Wollman Rink in Central Park?
02:22You know, they couldn't, went years and years.
02:24They couldn't do it.
02:25I knocked it up in four months.
02:27There's no ice rink in the world that does more business than our ice rink.
02:31And it's been tremendously successful.
02:33He shared the story even after he became president.
02:36Somebody told me about this the other day.
02:38They've never forgotten it.
02:40It was a big deal at the time.
02:41It remains a big deal.
02:43Took many, many years, and they were unable to open it.
02:47And I said, you know, I'd like to be able to have my daughter Ivanka, who is with us,
02:51I'd like to be able to have her go ice skating sometime before she doesn't want to ice skate.
02:57And I got involved, and I did it in a few months, and we did it for a tiny fraction,
03:02tiny fraction of the cost.
03:04But during his presidency, controversial policies led to protests at the rink.
03:08It's mine! It's mine! It's mine! It's mine!
03:12And in 2019, the Trump Organization removed his name from being featured prominently.
03:18Less than two years later, the Trump Organization may stop operating at all together
03:22and lose about $17 million in New York City contracts,
03:26which also include running a Central Park carousel and a golf course in the Bronx.
03:31The criminal act has been committed, so goodbye to the Trump Organization.
03:37We're not doing any business with you.
03:38Trump's reopening of the Wollman Rink helped him become a national celebrity
03:42and create an image as a businessman who gets things done,
03:45like he told Fox News in 2011.
03:48I want to rebuild the United States, just like I rebuilt the Wollman Skating Rink.
03:51The Trump Organization has said they will fight de Blasio's decision.
03:54But will the chaos at the Capitol overshadow Trump's pre-presidency accomplishments?
04:13And will it actually be the end of the Trump Organization's long history with New York City?
04:18This is like the Wollman Skating Rink.
04:20This is like the hotel, right?
04:22Under budget, ahead of schedule. Me.
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