In more evidence that Donald Trump is literally profiting from the presidency, his newly released financial disclosure shows that his Washington D.C. hotel has been one of his “best-performing properties” since it opened up just before the 2016 election.
According to The New York Times, the D.C. hotel – which opened in Sept. 2016 – is frequented by GOP aides and lobbyists, a setup that appears to be paying off for Trump.
The Times notes that “the disclosure provides the first extended look at the performance of Mr. Trump’s Washington hotel,” which they call “a magnet for lobbyists and Republican aides.”
“The hotel is one of his best performing properties, and the disclosure listed revenues of $40.4 million,” the report adds.
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Among his other properties performing well is his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, where the president spends an absurd amount of time.
According to The Times report, “Mr. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, which the president frequents in the winter months, saw revenues of $25.1 million. Last year’s filing listed revenues over a 16 month period at Mar-a-Lago of $37.3 million.”
Trump’s profits could be unconstitutional
As I wrote last year when it was reported that Trump was essentially bankrupting the U.S. Secret Service, there are some who say the payments are a violation of the U.S. Constitution.
Former White House ethics lawyer Richard Painter, who served under George W. Bush, said at the time that Trump “risks violating the domestic emoluments clause if his company is making money off of the Secret Service.”
A more recent report this March found that Defense Department employees charged nearly $140,000 at Trump properties over the first eight months of his presidency.
Over and over again, this administration has used the federal government as their playtoy, and the American people are stuck with the bill.
At the end of the day, Trump’s financial disclosure only confirms what we already knew. This presidency is about enriching Donald Trump, not Making America Great Again.
Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.
