Shortly after he was elected, Donald Trump promised that he was handing over control of his business interests to his two sons, Don Jr. and Eric, and that he wouldn’t be in violation of the Constitution’s Emoluments Clause or have any conflict of interest because he was stepping away from the Trump Organization while serving as president.
As with nearly everything involving Donald Trump, it turns out his guarantees of staying clear of his business holdings are also gigantic lies.
Thanks to some excellent reporting by Betsy Woodruff of The Daily Beast, we know that Trump’s hotel business has suffered since he was elected. Numerous hotels are now trying to drop the Trump name from their branding because the president is so unpopular and bad for revenues.
But one Trump hotel is going great guns: the one in Washington, D.C., which just so happens to be the same city where Trump now lives and works, though to call what he does “work” demeans the very character of the word.
Why is the Trump hotel in D.C. prospering? Well, according to Director of revenue management Jeng Chi Hung in an email obtained and authenticated by The Daily Beast, the reason is simple, as Hung notes in the communique:
“DJT is supposed to be out of the business and passed on to his sons, but he’s definitely still involved… so it’s interesting and unique in that way. I had a brief meeting with him a few weeks ago, and he was asking about banquet revenues and demographics. And, he asked if his presidency hurt the businesses. So, he seems self-aware about things, at least more than he lets on.”
Talk about letting the proverbial cat out of the metaphorical bag.
Yet when the Trump hotel in Washington’s managing director, Mickael Damelincourt, was asked for a comment about the email in question he resorted to the usual Trump strategy of what sounded like a lie and claimed the entire thing had been made up:
“Upon review of the email referenced in your inquiry, we have met with the individual and he has confirmed that he made these comments up in an effort to enhance his sense of importance to a former employer. In fact, this individual confirmed to me today that he has never met the President nor did any conversation ever take place.”
Do you detect strong hints of bullshit in that explanation, too? They’re so strong it makes you want to check the bottom of your shoe for residue.
So while Special Counsel Robert Mueller is indeed investigating the matter of Russian interference in the 2016 election, it seems safe to assume that when Donald Trump is impeached, the matter of his Washington hotel will also be one of the numerous articles of impeachment.
Featured Image Via NBC News
