Former President Donald Trump's presence in Washington, DC is coming to an end after the federal government approved the sale of his hotel in the district.
"Sunset for Trump Hotel in DC is close. The GSA--the fed gov landlord which leased the federal Old Post Office building to the Trump family--has approved the transfer of the lease to Trump's buyer, a Miami real estate company," New York Times correspondent Eric Lipton reported. "End of a mini era. (It only opened as a hotel in 2016)"
The hotel will be branded under the Waldorf Astoria property.
Lipton pointed to a November story he wrote with Ben Protess on the arrangement.
"Donald J. Trump’s family business has an agreement to sell its marquee Washington hotel, reaching a deal to fetch at least $375 million for a property that prompted ethical scrutiny and struggled to make money even as it drew steady crowds of lobbyists, lawmakers and Trump loyalists," The Timesreported. "The sale of the lease of the hotel, which operates out of a landmark federal building on Pennsylvania Avenue, comes after years of financial losses at the property, which opened in 2016, shortly before Mr. Trump was elected president."
The hotel is based in the Old Post Office building.
"From the time of its opening, the hotel immediately drew crowds of Trump supporters and favor-seekers. For a businessman president, it was the ideal bridge between his two worlds: a Trump hotel five blocks from the Trump White House," The Times reported. "This blurring between Mr. Trump’s business and his presidency fueled attacks from congressional Democrats who charged that he used the property as the hub of an influence-peddling operation. Mr. Trump’s critics filed lawsuits against him, arguing that business that the hotel received from foreign governments violated the so-called emoluments clause of the Constitution, which prohibits federal officials from taking gifts or payments from other governments."
On Twitter, Lipton said, "the lobby of this hotel is one of the great public spaces in DC--really a gorgeous spot. Once the sale goes through, liberals can join conservatives in enjoying the space. As it has been pretty exclusively a conservative hangout since opening."
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