Trump's promise to engage in no new deals while president of the United Freaking States was already off to an implausible start; as president-elect, Trump promised he'd be putting his family in charge of the family business and then proceeded to invite said family members to his meetings with foreign dignitaries, important business heads, and transition meetings. He's also closed plenty of deals between November and now, and now comes word that many more buildings with his overly plump name on them will just coincidentally be coming to cities near you during his presidency.
President Donald Trump’s hotel-management company wants to expand its namesake luxury hotels across the U.S. while it holds off on new overseas business, its chief executive officer said.
The reason Trump's business probably won't be expanding overseas probably has to do less with avoiding the appearance of impropriety, never a high concern among Trump executives, and more to do with the brand's new distinction as the world's most high-profile terrorist target. But Trump's executives figure they can profit off the Trump name here at home, and after Trump's stint in the Oval Office will be able to return his business to his own hands with, according to CEO Danziger, up to three times as many hotels as the company currently operates.
Does this count as Donald Trump, in his capacity as president, personally profiting off his own presidency? He hasn't divested from this or his other businesses, so yes. Will there be conspicuous pressure on cities to approve the Trump-labeled expansions, lest they run afoul of the president's personal displeasure? Of course. That's what the company is counting on.
Trump’s current properties are also unapologetically profiting off his new White House position. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, newly advertised by Trump as his “Winter White House” and expected to be a regular destination for Trump and staff, has now doubled their member initiation fee to $200,000. Why? Because now members will be able to regularly gain the ear of a sitting president, and to individuals with a lot of cash and issues that they might want their president to know about, that’s a price well worth paying. Trump hasn’t divested from Mar-a-Lago either—he’s merely put his ownership in a “trust,” which will revert back to him in four years, meaning the new membership fees will go, in part, to him.
Is this a level of crookedness that Republican lawmakers will readily and eagerly go along with—and even help facilitate—in order to consolidate their own power? Paul Ryan would personally cut the ribbons on the new hotels himself if it means he gets to dismantle a few more programs for poor or middle class Americans. Welcome to the kleptocracy—and it's only week one. Bring your checkbook or get out.