Donald Trump wades out of his swamp and snaps at anyone who gets in front of his money, wishes, or desires. It does not matter whom he hurts or inconveniences. The president’s hotel down the street from the White House has been a real problem for the Democratically held House of Representatives. It is illegal for any president to make money off of foreign nationals. Trump does not care. Take this for instance.
The Trump International Hotel with its 263 rooms and suites sits almost directly across the street from FBI headquarters in the old J. Edgar Hoover Building, named after the first FBI Director. The building has fallen into a state of disrepair. The FBI was well into plans for a new state-of-the-art headquarters in a nearby suburb, when the president found out. There was no way he wanted someone else to buy the old building and construct an additional hotel so close. The competition would surely hurt Trump’s business.
The president has been sued for breaking Emoluments Clause of the Constitution, which states that he cannot make money off of foreign dignitaries. The lawsuit has been working its way through the federal court system. Now, new evidence has caused the Department of Justice’s inspector general to open an investigation.
The inspector general was especially interested in why the FBI would change its plans so suddenly. Plus, the inspector general wanted to know why the FBI decided to remain in a far-too-small building. Clearly, Trump had opposed the move to a new structure, The Washington Post reported.
The House Democrats claimed that Trump intervened to quash the deal for personal, financial reasons. The Trumps do not actually own the Old Post Office Building that houses the hotel. They just lease it from the General Services Administration (GSA). It has been quite profitable, especially given that corporate CEO’s and members of foreign governments blatantly make it known they have been operating out of the hotel.
According to the FBI and the White House, Trump had nothing to do with the decision for the FBI to remain in place. FBI Director Christopher Wray testified before Congress defending the sudden withdrawal. However, it seemed that Trump did approve the FBI’s plan while meeting with the GSA in the Oval Office. New documents have just appeared to substantiate that.
The restoration that converted the Old Post Office Building into the Trump Hotel cost $200 million. Beyer Blinder Belle architect Hany Hassan was familiar with a number of historic restoration projects. He said this project was especially challenging. The old building was not equipped structurally to accommodate the many bathrooms the hotel required, according to BizNow:
‘I really view the Old Post Office in DC as the most iconic and most representative of the historic preservation movement in the District, was particularly challenging. My interest was really to preserve the historic character of the building while making it suitable for hotel use. And to give it a new life; the building was also enduring a lot of deterioration during that time because it was underutilized.’
The Trumps added an SF Presidential Ballroom and banquet facilities to the existing structure. Hassan said:
‘That was a challenge itself in how to fit a new building within such a historic and sensitive context with the Old Post Office.’
The Mueller Report Adventures: In Bite-Sizes on this Facebook page. These quick, two-minute reads interpret the report in normal English for busy people. Mueller Bite-Sizes uncovers what is essentially a compelling spy mystery. Interestingly enough, Mueller Bite-Sizes can be read in any order.
