Report: Trump hotel rooms in D.C. have plenty of foreign-made goods
President Donald Trump has been an outspoken promoter of American manufacturing. But his Trump International Hotel in Washington has more foreign-produced furniture than you might expect.
In a segment that aired Tuesday, two reporters from WUSA-TV checked into an $800 room at the hotel and tallied up "made in" labels of every item possible. About two-thirds of the items found came from foreign countries.
Six items came from China, four came from Italy and three from the United Kingdom.
Here is the station's published list:
- Lamps (China)
- Glasses (Italy)
- Phones (Malaysia)
- Remote control (China)
- TV (South Korea)
- Soaps and shampoos (Canada)
- Towels (India)
- Scale (China)
- Hair dryer (China)
- Sheets (Italy)
- Tissue container (UK)
- Umbrella (China)
- Robe (China)
- Tray (UK)
- Ice bucket (UK)
- Dishes (Germany)
- Sheets (Italy)
- Glasses (Italy)
- Chandeliers (Austria)
- Furniture (US)
- Mattress (US)
- Pillows (US)
- Bible (US)
- Clock (US)
- Trash Can (US)
The hotel's management was turned over to Mr. Trump's two sons, Donald Jr. and Eric Trump, in a January divestment. But ethics experts, such as Richard Painter, former President George W. Bush's ethics lawyer, claim Mr. Trump's divestment did not go far enough.
"He needs to sell the businesses, free himself of conflicts of interests," Painter said.
Officially owned by the Trump Organization, the hotel privately leases Washington's Old Post Office Tower from the federal government, which has raised the eyebrows of critics since Mr. Trump's November victory.
The federal General Services Administration functions as the landlord, charging the Trump Organization a monthly rent of $250,000 per month, according to Bloomberg.
Located in the heart of the city on Pennsylvania Avenue, the building is a distinguishable landmark among Washington's low skyline, it boasts 263 guest rooms and features a behemoth-sized lobby, bar area and steakhouse.
To stay competitive with other hotels, Trump International Hotel imports its goods from across the globe. Michael Kanko, the CEO of Import Genius, a company that analyzes exports and imports, said the hotel's importation of goods is normal.
"If his competitors are importing products and bringing costs down, it doesn't leave his organization much choice," Kanko said. "It would be hard for him to be competitive and not deal with global trade."
