WASHINGTON—At a circular booth in the middle of the Trump International Hotel’s balcony restaurant, President Donald Trump dined on his steak—well-done, with ketchup—while chatting with British Brexit politician Nigel Farage.
A few days later, major Republican donors Doug Deason and Doug Manchester, in town for the president’s address to Congress, sipped coffee at the hotel with Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif.
After Trump’s speech, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin returned to his Washington residence—the hotel—and strode past the gigantic American flag in the soaring lobby. With his tiny terrier tucked under an arm, Mnuchin stepped into an elevator with reality TV star and hotel guest Dog the Bounty Hunter, who particularly enjoyed the Trump-stamped chocolates in his room.
It was just another week at the new political capital of the nation’s capital.
The $200 million hotel inside the federally owned Old Post Office building has become the place to see, be seen, drink, network—even live—for the still-emerging Trump set. It’s a rich environment for lobbyists and anyone hoping to rub elbows with Trump-related politicos—despite a veil of ethics questions that hangs overhead.
“I’ve never come through this lobby and not seen someone I know,” says Deason, a Dallas-based fundraiser for Trump’s election campaign.
For Republican Party players, it’s the only place to stay.
