Re: “...it needed to be a negotiated settlement with clear terms spelled out for everyone.”
No - it needed only one clear term:
“Folks, I will pay everybody exactly how much I owe. Nothing less, nothing more.”
He refused to do that.
Perhaps at the time he could not afford to do that.
But, today, he can afford to make all those creditors whole, and he still refuses to do that.
Do you own any U.S. Treasury debt or Federal Agency debt, Albion?
After Trump gets elected, maybe he will default on YOUR investments!
Ok, now it becomes clear. You believe you are owed money by Donald Trump. Bye!