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It was a week ago Thursday when the federal government’s General Services Administration determined that President Donald Trump was not in violation of the lease for the D.C. area hotel that bears his name. But that didn’t stop CNN from finding some other real estate scenario to freak out about. “One more item on the conflict of interest watch as it were. The Trump organization pursuing perhaps another hotel in the nation’s capital? What is going on here,” wondered fill-in host John Berman on The Lead.
“Well, if it happens it would be really controversial,” claimed CNN Money Correspondent Christina Alesci. According to her, she acquired her information from a competitor of the Trump organization. “And he said the Trump organization has been scouting locations for months, multiple groups are actually interested in funding this project,” she explained. The obvious point that the person she talked could have an ulterior motive was never addressed, and she seemed to take her source at their word.
Passing along the concerns of Trump organization’s competitor, Alesci said: “The developer said that, quote, ‘Interest in partnering with the Trump organization has exploded since the election.’” That is a similar concern that NBC once had when they highlighted a pair of active liberals who were suing Trump, claiming his hotel was hurting their wine bar. Alesci noted such claims:
And it’s really been a flash point in this controversy over the President's conflict of interests. Trump goes to eat there, his cabinet secretaries are spotted there … And that raises the questions of whether you can buy access, and competing hotels and restaurants are crying unfair competition. Look, a second D.C. hotel would definitely open a new line of questioning at this point.
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