From left to right: Trump International Hotel, President-elect Trump, Ambassador of Kuwait Salem Al-Sabah, The Four Seasons Hotel CREDIT: AP/Flickr/Composite.
The Embassy of Kuwait allegedly cancelled a contract with a Washington, D.C. hotel days after the presidential election, citing political pressure to hold its National Day celebration at the Trump International Hotel instead.
A source tells ThinkProgress that the Kuwaiti embassy, which has regularly held the event at the Four Seasons in Georgetown, abruptly canceled its reservation after members of the Trump Organization pressured the ambassador to hold the event at the hotel owned by the president-elect. The source, who has direct knowledge of the arrangements between the hotels and the embassy, spoke to ThinkProgress on the condition of anonymity because the individual was not authorized to speak publicly. ThinkProgress was also able to review documentary evidence confirming the source’s account.
In the early fall, the Kuwaiti Embassy signed a contract with the Four Seasons. But after the election, members of the Trump Organization contacted the Ambassador of Kuwait, Salem Al-Sabah, and encouraged him to move his event to Trump’s D.C. hotel, the source said.
Kuwait has now signed a contract with the Trump International Hotel, the source said, adding that a representative with the embassy described the decision as political. Invitations to the event are typically sent out in January.
[…]
Less than two weeks after that event, Politico reported that Bahrain, another Middle Eastern monarchy, would host its National Day reception at the Trump hotel on December 7.
Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA) harshly criticized the Bahrain event, writing in a letter to Trump that he should “reject all business income from the Bahraini monarchy and all other foreign governments.” McGovern wrote that Trump’s “private commercial dealings with a repressive governments” endanger the fundamental principle that the president will “act solely in our country’s interests.”
The Republic of Azerbaijan also recently co-hosted a Hanukkah party at the Trump hotel, despite the anti-Semitic undertones of the Trump campaign. Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, blasted the decision as “tone deaf at best, naked sycophancy at worst.”
Smaller countries like Kuwait, Bahrain, and Azerbaijan may perceive patronizing the Trump Hotel as an easy way to gain access and favor with the incoming Trump administration.
And there’s the tone of the new administration, as corrupt as could possibly be. I’m not altogether sure why conservatives aren’t in a tizzy over this, perhaps they feel this is just normal rich guy privilege, or they are hoping to get a slice of the fat pie. It’s a free for all now, whoever manages to toss a bit of money and flattery Trump’s way will get whatever they want. Today’s mood: I want off this ship before it sinks all the way down.
UPDATE: Pressure on Kuwait to move event to Trump hotel a ‘paradigm impeachable offense’.
That’s a fair question!
I was going to say “Trump is inventing whole new forms of corruption” but I suspect Tammany Hall would have milked the presidency more effectively than Trump will.
Reagan’s presidency was full of indictments for various forms of corruption (because: conservative!?) and of course there was Nixon. Johnson was pretty fond of the quid pro quo. They’re all horrible motherfuckers. Put ’em all up against the wall.
Why would they be? IOKIYAR.
Trump is even more blatant than Blagojevich ever was.
If he believes his children to be a blind trust, he probably doesn’t even believe in conflicts of interest.
Oh wait, he doesn’t.
US Presidency, bought and sold
Giliell@#5:
US Presidency, bought and sold
It pretty much always has been, for at least the last 100 years. For one thing, you don’t get candidates that aren’t already rich… Trump was pretty honest about it, going in, with his comment about how he paid for his opponents previous campaigns. He’s exactly the asshole he appears to be.
Marcus
Well, the last ones were at least not as obvious about it.
Others have already suggested that Trump establishments might be targeted by attacks on account of it being … well, the brand of the US president. I’m sure the people inclined towards murder and terrorism would appreciate the symbolism of burning down a hotel belonging to the POTUS. And now Trump businesses are becoming the ‘preferred’ provider for foreign dignitaries on US soil, surely making them even more attractive targets.
Something is just bound to go wrong now, isn’t it? Trump’s response would be bad, too, in light of the fall-out from 9/11. But I feel particularly sorry for the people who work in Trump’s establishments and can’t get out. And ultimately it’s all just so some fat-walleted git can shovel more dollars into his coffers.
Sorry if that sounded a bit .. glum.
It also rather implies that he can’t fill his hotels any other way. People aren’t going there because it’s good value for money, or because they like the service. They go because their arm was twisted. Great advert for the hotels, NOT.