Trump Tower, a home for celebrities and charlatans

New York

HILLARY Clinton slept here.

The year was 2000. Mrs Clinton was in the middle of her first political campaign, running to be New York's junior senator.

Steven Spielberg, an enthusiastic donor to Mrs Clinton who had the use of a pied-à-terre in Trump Tower purchased for him by Universal Pictures, barely stayed at the place, despite its views of Central Park, and offered it to the candidate as a crash pad on gruelling campaign days.

Donald Trump and Mrs Clinton were on good terms back then. He donated money to her candidacy and called her "tough and smart". Moreover, Mr Trump was skilled in the art of spinning his associations with celebrities into publicity.

This was pa…