‘Only One I Knew Was In New Jersey’: All About Trump's Taj Mahal Rubio Referred Ahead Of Agra Visit

Last Updated:May 25, 2026, 17:17 IST

Trump had described the property as the “eighth wonder of the world” and positioned it as the crown jewel of his Atlantic City casino empire.

Trump’s Taj Mahal: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday visited the historic Taj Mahal in Agra along with his wife, Jeanette D Rubio, on third day of his four-day visit to the nation.

US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor and other officials also accompanied the couple during the visit. They also posed for photographs in front of the Taj Mahal during the visit.

Ahead of his visit, Rubio joked that the only Taj Mahal he had previously known about was the one once owned by US President Donald Trump in New Jersey.

“I have never been there. The only one I ever knew about was the one in New Jersey that the President used to have," Rubio said. His comment referred to the Trump Taj Mahal Casino and Resort in Atlantic City, one of Donald Trump’s most ambitious real estate ventures during the 1980s and 1990s.

All About Trump Taj Mahal

The casino opened in 1990 after Trump acquired the unfinished project from Resorts International in 1987. Inspired by India’s historic monument, the casino featured chrome-domed minarets, stone elephants, grand staircases and an attached luxury hotel tower, according to ABC report.

Trump had described the property as the “eighth wonder of the world" and positioned it as the crown jewel of his Atlantic City casino empire, which also included Trump Plaza and Trump Castle.

The project, estimated to be worth around $1.2 billion at the time, was financed partly through $675 million in high-interest junk bonds, making it one of the most expensive casino developments in the United States, NPR reported.

The opening was marked by lavish celebrations attended by Hollywood stars, politicians and celebrities, including Michael Jackson.

“The scale, Charlie, is what brings the people. The opulence, the size, the everything is really what’s going to make the Taj Mahal the most successful hotel anywhere in the world," Trump told ABC News.

However, even before its launch, several analysts had warned that the project’s enormous debt burden could become unsustainable.

Gaming industry analyst Marvin Roffman had publicly predicted that the casino would struggle once the initial excitement faded, citing the massive daily debt obligations attached to the junk bond financing.

Those predictions soon proved accurate. Within months of opening, the casino began facing financial trouble and by 1991 had entered bankruptcy proceedings.

Trump later gave up half ownership of the property to lenders in exchange for easier repayment terms. Although he regained control through Trump Hotels and Casino Resorts in 1996, financial troubles continued over the following decade.

By 2009, Trump Entertainment Resorts filed for bankruptcy, effectively ending Trump’s direct involvement in Atlantic City’s casino business.

In 2016, investor Carl Icahn acquired the company out of bankruptcy, wiping out Trump’s remaining stake in the Taj Mahal. Later that year, the casino shut down after labour disputes and mounting financial losses.

The property was eventually sold in 2017 to Hard Rock International for around $50 million – a fraction of its original valuation – and was later reopened as a Hard Rock casino.

News world ‘Only One I Knew Was In New Jersey’: All About Trump's Taj Mahal Rubio Referred Ahead Of Agra Visit

Read More