{
  "id": 12255287,
  "title": "Exclusive: In 2010 letter, Trump pleaded with Macau leader to correct ‘outrageous’ trademark defeat, attaching TV ratings",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/exclusive-in-2010-letter-trump-pleaded-with-macau-leader-to-correct",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-05T23:40:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hong Kong Free Press",
    "slug": "hong-kong-free-press-hongkongfp",
    "url": "https://hongkongfp.com/2026/10/06/exclusive-in-2010-letter-trump-pleaded-with-macau-leader-to-correct-outrageous-trademark-defeat-attaching-tv-ratings/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In 2006, as Macau surpassed Las Vegas to become the world's largest gambling destination, Donald Trump sought to establish a presence in the Chinese Special Administrative Region. However, his company name, Trump Companhia Limitada, was already registered by two local residents. Trump took his case to the Macau courts, where it was ruled that neither he nor his company name was well-known in the region. This decision, which Trump deemed an \"outrageous miscarriage of justice,\" infuriated him to the point that he appealed directly to Macau's leader, Fernando Chiu, and sought assistance from the U.S. State Department. The correspondence between Trump and Chui, along with supporting documents, were obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request by journalist Timothy McLaughlin and shared exclusively with HKFP. In his 2010 letter to Chui, Trump expressed his distress over the court's ruling, which he claimed prevented him from exercising his global brand recognition, including through his popular television show \"The Apprentice\" and best-selling books. Trump accused the Macau justice system of being compromised by corrupt individuals and urged Chui to overturn the decision, compensating him and his company for the alleged pain and suffering.",
  "summary": "In 2006, the same year that Macau overtook Las Vegas to become the world’s biggest gambling hub, Donald J. Trump was trying to make inroads into the Special Administrative Region of China. But there was a snag: his company name was already registered to local residents. Trump Companhia Limitada – “Trump Company Limited” in Portuguese […]",
  "key_points": [
    "Trump wrote 2010 letter to Macau leader Fernando Chui.",
    "Trump complained about trademark defeat deemed \"outrageous miscarriage of justice\".",
    "Trump appealed to Chui via U.S. State Department after Macau court ruling."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Guardian US",
        "title": "Trump approval ratings plummet to new low, polls show",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/trump-approval-ratings-plummet-to-new-low-polls-show",
        "published": "2026-10-05T22:15:40.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Hong Kong Free Press",
        "title": "Exclusive: In 2010 letter, Trump pleaded with Macau leader to correct ‘outrageous’ trademark defeat, attaching TV ratings",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/exclusive-in-2010-letter-trump-pleaded-with-macau-leader-to-correct-12258472",
        "published": "2026-10-05T23:40:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}