Trump to Treasure Island owner Phil Ruffin: ‘Come see Air Force One’

June 24, 2018 3:55 PM
  • Howard Stutz, CDC Gaming Reports
June 24, 2018 3:55 PM
  • Howard Stutz, CDC Gaming Reports

Treasure Island casino owner Phil Ruffin and his family received a behind-the-scenes tour of President Donald Trump’s four-hour visit to Las Vegas Saturday.

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Treasure Island owner Phil Ruffin disembarks Air Force One on Saturday in Las Vegas – Photo via Chase Stevens, Las Vegas Review-Journal

A spokeswoman for the Las Vegas Strip casino said Trump invited his business partner – Ruffin owns 50 percent of the non-gaming Trump International Hotel and Tower – to take a tour of Air Force One, the highly classified Boeing 747 used by the president.

Las Vegas Review-Journal political reporter Ramona Giwargis and photographer Chase Stevens tweeted out photos and video of Ruffin disembarking from Air Force One along with his wife, Oleksandra, and their two children.

“They joined (the president) for the motorcade ride to the fund-raiser,” Treasure Island spokeswoman Michelle Knoll said in an email.

Ruffin, 83, is originally from Wichita, Kan., and worth $2.7 billion according to Forbes. In addition to his ownership in Treasure Island and 50 percent of Trump International, Ruffin, owns commercial real estate, hotels, oil fields, racetracks and truck production.

According to Federal Election Commission (FEC) 2018 finance records, Ruffin gave $250,000 to the Republican National Committee in June 2017, and $100,000 to two political action committees supporting Trump’s planned 2020 re-election effort -Trump Victory, Donald J. Trump for President, Inc.

Howard Stutz is the executive editor of CDC Gaming Reports. He can be reached at hstutz@cdcgamingreports.com. Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.