In 2012, Trump flew to Batumi, Georgia for the launch of a planned 47-story Trump Tower — Saakashvili gave him a city tour in a Nissan. The project was scrapped by 2017, officially to avoid conflicts of interest after Trump’s election.

Saakashvili spoke about how he encouraged Trump to run for president, back when nobody in Trump’s inner circle believed he had a chance:

"In 2013, after my presidency, I was in New York when Michael Cohen called me and said ‘Donald wants to talk to you’ and handed him the phone. He asked where I was. I told him I was in New York — come visit if you want. He promised he’d stop by in Williamsburg, and casually asked: ‘What do you think, Misha — should I run for president again?’ I replied: ‘You know my opinion, we’ve talked about this many times — I think you have very good chances.’ He said: ‘As far as I know, nobody around me believes I have a chance.’ I encouraged him and said: ‘Don’t listen to them.’ Then he turned to Michael and said: ‘You see — I told you, even Misha says I have a chance.’"