House GOP holds retreat at a Trump property, a windfall to president’s resort
Holding the retreat at a Trump property threatens to ignite the same kind of criticism that dogged Trump’s first term: that he has sought to personally profit from his public position.
“… But regardless of how the budget talks go, the biggest immediate beneficiary of the discussion will probably be Trump National Doral Golf Club, which faced
steep declines in revenue six years ago. This year marks the first time that House Republicans have spent money directly on a venue owned by the president. The vast majority of the 218-member GOP conference is attending the three-day event, along with a smattering of senior staff members, spouses and children.
Holding the congressional retreat at a Trump property threatens to ignite the same kind of criticism that dogged Trump’s first term: that he has sought to personally profit from his public position in part by maneuvering elected officials, Secret Service agents and others in his orbit to stay at his properties, at times on the taxpayers’ dime. Trump’s critics have long said doing so is a violation of the
emoluments clause of the Constitution, which aims to ensure that the public interest overrides personal gain.
… For example, his former D.C. hotel
charged the Secret Service 300 percent or more above standard government rates on several occasions, according to an Oversight Committee report released in 2022. The Trump campaign then derided the move as an effort by Democrats to dredge up a long-dead issue for political expediency.
… Critics also grew concerned that foreign interests tried to curry favor with Trump via his hotels. Lobbyists representing the Saudi government reserved an estimated 500 nights’ worth of rooms at a hotel in Washington that Trump owned at the time, shortly after his first inauguration. During that period, the average nightly rate at the hotel was $768. …”