When my daughters were very young, we used to ask them an age-old question: Who stole the cookies from the cookie jar? Each one would respond, “Not me.” Well, there are many cookie jars these days in Washington and New York, but the biggest one is the Trump Organization, which fills up every day with the proceeds from Trump properties all over the world.
At the outset of President Trump’s term, he was asked to suspend any connection between himself and the Trump Organization and its properties. He made some vague statement about how he would conduct himself while in office, but if you believed that, I could’ve sold you an interest in the Brooklyn Bridge. As each day goes by, the coffers of the Trump conglomerate are enriched by money coming from near and far away, all with the blessings of the president.
The most blatant money grab is the Trump International Hotel in Washington. Lobbyists, foreign dignitaries and favor-seekers fill the lobby and the rooms of the facility in the hope of gaining the attention of the president or members of the family organization. It’s estimated that the hotel earned $8 million in profits in 2018 thanks to its status as a branded property in the nation’s capital.
In recent weeks, America has gotten a taste of how various individuals are seeking to curry favor with the Trump family. Attorney General William Barr, who is supposed to be the person in charge of keeping America’s moral standards at the highest level, announced that he would have his holiday party at the Trump International, at an estimated cost of $30,000. There are many fine establishments in Washington that could accommodate the Barr family, but somehow it’s a sign of loyalty to book a Trump facility.
Vice President Mike Pence decided he would use the Trump International Golf Links and Hotel in Doonbeg, Ireland, for a stopover, even though it was 165 miles from his planned event and required two costly round trips with Secret Service protection to get him to his leadership meeting. Pence, who’s usually guarded about any subject, said that he went to Doonbeg on the “president’s recommendation” and then he backtracked on that admission. So much for profiles in courage.