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Seriously...

Trump at Studio 54

Seriously...

BBC

Documentary, Society & Culture

4.1885 Ratings

🗓️ 28 April 2017

⏱️ 39 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Frances Stonor-Saunders explores how the young Donald Trump stormed into Manhattan from the outer boroughs in the late 1970s and headed straight for New York's most outrageous nightclub. He didn't dance, didn't drink, and didn't take drugs. So what was he doing in the cocaine-fuelled hothouse of the Disco revolution? And what was the link to Roy Cohn, infamous attack dog of the McCarthy era, go-to Attorney for the Mob and the man Trump was happy to call his mentor?

Producer: Fiona Leach Research: Serena Tarling.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

This was an impregnable fortress. The only way you get out was in a wooden box.

0:05.0

The controversial maximum security prison impossible to escape from.

0:09.0

And one of the duties of a political prisoner is the escape.

0:12.0

The IRA inmates who found a way. of a political prisoner is the escape.

0:12.5

The IRA inmates who found a way.

0:14.5

I'm Carlo Gableer and I'll be navigating a path

0:19.5

through the disturbing inside story of the biggest jailbreak in British and Irish history.

0:25.0

The narrative that they want is that this is a big achievement by them.

0:28.5

Escape from the Maze, listen first on BBC Sounds.

0:34.0

This is the BBC.

0:38.0

New York City, 40 years ago.

0:42.0

A nightclub where the music's loud and the outfits louder.

0:47.0

Mick Jagger, Andy Warhol, Grace Jones, Freddie Mercury, Debbie Harry, the guest list goes on.

0:55.6

It's the center of disco and headinism, with a reputation for sex, drugs, and exclusivity.

1:04.0

And there, not on the dance floor, not drinking

1:11.0

not drinking at the bar and not taking drugs in the bathroom, a future

1:16.3

president of the United States of America.

1:19.6

Donald was never a nightclub person. He didn't drink, he didn't smoke, he never stayed out like.

1:25.6

I'm Riala Dylen and Francis Stona Saunders brings us this seriously interesting story.

1:34.8

Show how we're doing now.

1:38.6

Oh, come 1970s.

1:47.0

If you wanted to come out here, socially, sexually, politically, first you had to come in.

...

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