Mayor says he disagrees with Trump Organization statement labelling dinner a 'fabrication'

Under-fire Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate says he had a conversation about tariffs with US President Donald Trump just before dinner at Mar-a-Lago — despite the Trump Organization claiming no such dinner happened.

The outspoken mayor today also apologised to Australian viewers and reporters for swearing on Tuesday at a journalist during questioning about the trip, which has resulted in conflicting accounts of a high-profile dinner at Mar-a-Lago.

"I was out of line, using a swear word, even though being frustrated … when you wear the mayoralty role you've got to rise above that, and for that, I didn't do my job," he said.

Mr Tate, the energetic mayor of Australia's sixth-biggest city, had attracted headlines when he told multiple media outlets of having dinner with the president at his holiday retreat in Florida in February this year.

He even described sharing tomahawk steaks and drinking expensive wine.

The mayor was in Mar-a-Lago for the signing of an ultimately doomed Gold Coast Trump Tower, with the ceremony between a Queensland developer and the Trump Organization, headed by the president's son Eric.

He told media they had a later evening function with the president. "Mate, I had dinner with him," he told Triple M Gold radio.

But the ABC revealed on Monday conflicting accounts, with the White House saying the president and first lady Melania Trump "did not have dinner with that group" including Mr Tate. And an ABC right to information request with council turned up little documentation about the Florida trip.

While a business associate of Mr Tate's told local media he was at the dinner and backed the mayor's recollection, the Trump Organization issued a further blistering statement describing the Gold Coast politician's account as a "complete fabrication".

"President Trump has never had dinner with Mayor Tate," a Trump Organization spokesperson said. "While the president was on the patio, he briefly said hello to the mayor's table, as he typically does with guests at Mar-a-Lago. He then proceeded to a separate dinner that had absolutely nothing to do with Mayor Tate or his event."

Mr Tate today said: "I have to disagree. I had my conversation, we had dinner, and I won't get into some of the wonderful things we discussed, because it's private."

He described having a conversation with the president "before dinner, outside the dining room" that touched on tariffs and Australia's movie industry.

"There's many other conversations I had with the president, with Eric, with Lara (Trump, Eric's wife), and I still have the belief that what went on during that dinner function, I didn't want to betray … the privacy there."

He played down any damage to business deals. "I'm not having a war with the Trump Organization. I'm telling you what my recollection is and what's happened with me. How they record that on their side, I'm going 'Well, good you got to do what you got to do' ".

Gold Coast Council records from the time show Mr Tate's itinerary was full many days in other cities when he was on the global journey in February, even detailing what clothes to wear and briefing packs about people he was to meet. 

The itinerary's three days at Mar-a-Lago only contain four words about events: "Meeting with Trump Organization."

His council report and official Instagram also contain a multitude of selfie photographs from the global trip, including with representatives from Airbnb. No selfies were posted from Mar-a-Lago.

Ratepayers paid for flights to Florida, and Mr Tate has said he was invited there as mayor.

He initially recorded in gift registers to having accepted the Trump Organization's accommodation and meals for the trip, sparking controversy given a $1.5 billion tower on the Gold Coast was planned.

The mayor later changed his register to say he had paid for the accommodation — not the meals — and said he had always intended to pay personally but had just been waiting for an invoice to arrive.

He has declined to hand over the invoice in a right to information request, now saying the trip was private. 

He told journalists on Monday he had not been charged mates rates but would not divulge the amount.