Donald Trump, accompanied by, from left, Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, Trump, Tiffany Trump, Melania Trump, and Ivanka Trump, during the grand opening ceremony of the Trump International HotelOld Post Office in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 26, 2016. Getty Images.
US President Donald Trump is under scrutiny once again for his alleged involvement in his hotel business after a leaked email from an executive at Trump's hotel in Washington, D.C. claimed the president is 'definitely involved'.
Jeng Chi Hung, director of revenue management for Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., wrote in a September 12 email obtained and published by The Daily Beast on Thursday: “DJT is supposed to be out of the business and passed on to his sons, but he's definitely still involved. I had a brief meeting with him a few weeks ago, and he was asking about banquet revenues and demographics. And, he asked if his presidency hurt the businesses... He seems self aware about things, at least more than he lets on.”
REVEALING LEAKED EMAIL from @TrumpDC hotel exec: “DJT is supposed to be out of the business & passed on to his sons, but he's definitely still involved...he was asking about banquet revenues & demographics &...if his presidency hurt the businesses.” https://t.co/tmY9ytGxGN
— Kenneth P. Vogel (@kenvogel) December 29, 2017
However, Mickael Damelincourt, the hotel’s managing director, called the email “total nonsense” and said that an internal investigation currently ongoing.
“We have met with the individual and he has confirmed that he made these comments up in an effort to enhance his sense of importance to a former employer,” Damelincourt told The Daily Beast.
“In fact, this individual confirmed to me today that he has never met the president nor did any conversation ever take place,” he added.
Donald Trump's business assets moved into a revocable trust in January after his inauguration. The trust was created to ensure Trump's removal from the day-to-day operations of the business and is managed by his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr, and the Trump Organisation's chief financial officer.
In August, HotelierMiddleEast.com reported that documents showed US President Donald Trump's flagship Washington hotel made nearly US $2m profit in the first four months of 2017. The documents were later deleted.
The Washington Post reports that the company was forecasted to lose $2.1 million during that same time period when it opened late last year.
According to The Hill, the DC hotel upped its rates after Trump became President. Fortune magazine reports that guests in 2017 spent an average of $652.98 a night, beating company expectations by 57%.
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