House Republicans decided to start Donald Trump’s second term with a gift: They will funnel tens of thousands of dollars into his presidential pockets by holding their January retreat at Trump Doral.
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No, we are not talking about Donald Trump’s line of “Fight, Fight, Fight” perfumes, which he is hawking for $199 and promoted in the most peculiar way this week, but rather the fragrance the president-elect is best known for: “Eau de Corruption.”
And House Republicans are apparently eager to get another whiff of that scent as soon as Trump is sworn in.
That’s the inevitable conclusion one had to reach after it was revealed on Tuesday that GOP lawmakers would hold their annual January retreat at the president-elect’s Doral resort in Florida, where they will each shell out hundreds of dollars per night for their rooms (and that’s if the cheapest accommodations suffice; otherwise, it could be well north of $1,000 per night).
Things used to be quite different.
Before the Trump Grifting Express rolled into Washington, DC, these retreats were held in other exotic locations, like the exclusive Hershey Lodge in Hershey, PA; the world-renowned Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Golf Resort, Spa and Marina in Cambridge, MD; or the majestic Loews Hotel in scenic Philadelphia, PA.
If you are wondering, all of the above offer room rates significantly below those of Trump’s club. And by “significantly,” we mean that even compared to the cheapest room in Doral, they cost half as much.
And something tells us that they are not going to pay the cheapest rate in Florida (that something is the knowledge that the president-elect and his spawn made millions in taxpayer money from Secret Service agents staying at Trump properties, who appear to have routinely been overcharged).
Of course, only stays at Doral and other Trump resorts come with the perk of being able line the president-elect’s pockets with money from campaign contributions.
And for that, you have to make the trek to Florida.
There was a time when people were still (pretending to be) shocked by Trump’s corruption, his nonstop grifting, and complete lack of ethics and morals.
That is no longer the case, and Republicans aren’t even shy about partaking in it.
Back in the day, they might have offered some kind of sheepish excuse to explain why Doral was obviously a much more logical location than taking a bus to some Best Western a couple of hours outside of Washington, DC.
Now, it would not be surprising if every Republican who makes the trip were to come back with a goodie basket containing Trump-branded guitars, golden sneakers, or perhaps a Trump-signed Bible.
Depending on which versions of these products they want to call their own, that swag bag will cost GOP lawmakers, or to be more precise, their campaigns, anywhere from a few hundred bucks to more than 10 grand.
If that seems a bit expensive, don’t forget how those MasterCard commercials go: “Trump perfume — $199. Golden Trump sneakers — $499. A Trump-signed electric guitar — $10,000. Being able to use campaign funds to shovel tens of thousands of dollars into the pockets of the president of the United States — priceless!”
You know, maybe it’s that “Fight, Fight, Fight” cologne, but something sure smells fishy.
In his Navigating the Insanity columns, Klaus Marre provides the kind of hard-hitting, thought-provoking, and often humorous analysis you won’t find anywhere else.
