In an alternate reality, the political landscape of 2016 would be without business mogul Donald Trump after he was stabbed 30 years prior by Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards. Salon has brought to light a fascinating anecdote from The Stones’ 1989 comeback tour.
As the story goes, The Stones booked a gig at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall to conclude the American leg of their Steel Wheels tour. The show was sponsored by Donald Trump, but only after he agreed to not be involved in any of the concert’s promotion, or even attend the show for that matter (apparently The Stones weren’t fans of the future Republican presidential candidate).
(Read: Donald Trump Once Kicked One Direction Out of His Hotel)
Shockingly enough, Trump ended up reneging on his promise. As tour manager Michael Cohl recounted to Pollstar, “I get word that I have to come to the press room in the next building. I run to the press room in the next building and what do you think is happening? There’s Donald Trump giving a press conference, in our room!”
Cohl told Trump to leave; he initially obliged, only to return five minutes later.
When Richards got wind of Trump’s actions, “he pulls out his knife and slams it on the table and says, ‘What the hell do I have you for? Do I have to go over there and fire him myself? One of us is leaving the building – either him, or us.’”
Ultimately, Trump left the band’s press room, but not before “three shtarkers he’s with, in trench coats, two of them are putting on gloves and the other one is putting on brass knuckles.” Cohl said he responded by calling the band’s head of security, who “got 40 of the crew with tire irons and hockey sticks and screwdrivers.”
