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Donald Trump during 2007's "Skating With the Stars Under the Stars" at Wollman Rink, one of two he ... [+]

Brian Ach/WireImage

Topline: President Trump's New York City ice skating rinks have removed his name from their signage, reported the Washington Post, marking the first time the Trump Organization has downplayed its connection to the president⁠-but nine other buildings have previously nixed Trump's name.

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  • Besides the skating rinks, six of Trump Place residential buildings in New York City's Upper West Side dropped his name in February.
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  • And his Trump SoHo hotel (also in New York City) removed the president's name in 2017, spurring a full financial recovery from a prolonged slump.
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  • Two other Trump hotels⁠-one in Toronto, the other in Panama⁠-dropped his name in 2017 and 2018.
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  • The SoHo, Toronto and Panama hotels are no longer doing business with Trump, while the Upper West Side condos still have a contract with him.
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  • Multiple reports suggested that the properties cut ties with Trump because in a divisive political climate, the association was hurting business.
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  • The Panama hotel, however, accused the Trump Organization of evading taxes a year after ending their business relationship.

Key background: Trump's iconic skating rinks are located in the northern and southern ends of New York City's Central Park. But he doesn't own them. Instead, Trump leases them from the city, a long-held arrangement held over from when he took over their reconstruction in the '80s. Trump famously got the project done on time and under budget, the Post reported, helping to solidify him as a reputable businessman.

Tangent: Since Trump began his 2016 presidential campaign, his estimated net worth has dropped by $1.4 billion in Forbes' ranking of billionaires. Polarizing politics were partly behind the decline, costing Trump an estimated $200 million at last count.

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I'm a New York-based journalist covering breaking news at Forbes. I hold a master's degree from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. Previous bylines: G

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