Donald Trump was a nightmare date in the 1970s

Trump was not a fun date back in the day.

(Image credit: TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)

published 24 March 2016

We've all been there. The bad date. The one where you can tell from the start that it just isn't going to work out. And then comes the kicker at the end of the night — "Oh no, I left my wallet at home! I'll pay you back, I swear."

For Lucy Klebanow, that awful date just happened to be with a billionaire who is now running for president. It was the early 1970s; she was 23. She and Donald Trump had mutual friends. Then he invited her to dinner:

The check came but the restaurant didn't take credit cards. My date couldn't pay for the dinner. This was the first thing I could relate to all evening. Me, Jewish girl, independent but not too, always had bad-date, worst-case-scenario, awkward-situation, get-home money.So, my big shot, Cadillac, phone-in-convertible boring date couldn't pay for dinner. He was stunned and embarrassed. I said, "Let's get aprons and do the dishes. It would be fun." His face was horror-stricken. He was flustered. Relax, I have the money. Oh, thank God. He swore he'd pay me back tomorrow so many times that I thought it not likely.He never did. That may tell you something about my date with Donald Trump. [Salon]

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.

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