The Trump Hotel turns blue

Dec 15, 2023

By Lauren Egan, Myah Ward, Benjamin Johansen and Daniel Lippman

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As members of President JOE BIDEN’s national finance committee filtered out of their winter meeting at the Waldorf Astoria in downtown Washington, they could hardly contain their glee.

“This is like a ‘fuck you’ to Trump,” said one donor Thursday afternoon, slinging a canvas Biden campaign tote bag over his shoulder before heading into JOSÉ ANDRÉS’ lobby restaurant, The Bazaar, for some champagne.

Until last year, the lavish hotel was part of former President DONALD TRUMP’s real-estate empire. No Democratic official would dare step foot inside. But as the hotel struggled to make money after Trump left office, the former president sold his lease on the Old Post Office Building and the hotel was rebranded as a Waldorf Astoria. Now, spending time there has become a way for the Democratic elite to stick it to the former president.

Democratic donors, staffers and lawmakers have thrown fundraisers and holiday parties at The Bazaar. They’ve popped in for morning coffees and after-work drinks at the hotel bar — where TVs are no longer all tuned into Fox News. They’re finally able to dine at Sushi Nakazawa and, if they can snag a reservation, they’ve attended afternoon tea in the grand atrium.

With the hotel transforming this week into an unofficial headquarters for Biden’s moneyed supporters, the days when Trump, RUDY GIULIANI and other MAGA figures feasted on shrimp cocktails and well-done steaks at BLT Prime felt like a distant memory.

“The expression that a couple of people used was, ‘We’ve turned Trump Tower blue,’” said CHIP FORRESTER, a member of the Biden finance committee who attended the Thursday meeting.

As Biden campaign co-chair JEFFREY KATZENBERG grabbed a table Thursday at The Bazaar to huddle with finance chair RUFUS GIFFORD and other Biden aides, former Democratic National Committee chair DONNA BRAZILE chatted on the other side of the lobby with current DNC chair JAIME HARRISON. Environmental Protection Agency administrator MICHAEL REGAN lounged in a leather wingback chair. Donors wore their Biden finance committee name tags around the hotel like a badge of honor.

“It wasn’t lost on anyone that just a few short years ago this was jam packed full of Trump supporters,” said another person who attended the finance meeting.

The last time that the Biden Victory Fund National Finance Committee met in Washington, D.C., it was at the Salamander hotel. A person familiar with this week’s meeting said the Waldorf Astoria wasn’t selected as a political statement, but rather because there are only so many high-end hotels available in the area with large meeting rooms.

Whether or not intentional, donors delighted in the ability to schmooze in the hallways once owned by their chief political rival, and took particular delight in spending their money at Andrés’ restaurant. In 2015, Andrés ended up in a high-profile legal battle with then-candidate Trump after canceling plans to open a fine-dining restaurant in the hotel over Trump’s anti-immigrant comments.

We hear Andrés’ food is genuinely delicious, particularly the conch fritters. And it’s not just wealthy Dem donors who like to dine there. The Obamas were spotted there two weeks ago and LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA dined there before the 2023 Kennedy Center Honors. It’s a favorite of second gentleman DOUG EMHOFF. White House chief of staff JEFF ZIENTS, Education Secretary MIGUEL CARDONA, press secretary KARINE JEAN-PIERRE and Biden campaign manager JULIE CHÁVEZ RODRÍGUEZ have also been spotted enjoying meals there.

“I think a lot of people’s favorite part about the hotel is that it’s not owned by Donald Trump,” said Biden campaign spokesperson KEVIN MUNOZ.

Democrats might have firmly planted their flag in what used to be a social hub for the Trump White House. But some acknowledged that they couldn’t totally get rid of all the remnants of the former president. Tourists in MAGA hats still occasionally pop in to get a glimpse of where Trump officials used to hang out. And as some Biden donors pointed out, the decor is still very Trumpian.

“There was a little bit of wisecracking [among donors] about, ‘Oh, I wish they could get rid of all the gold leaf stuff. It’s really opulent and could we tone it down a little,’” said Forrester. “But then they would say, ‘Yeah, but it’s ours now.’”

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POTUS PUZZLER

Which president housed the most animals in the White House?

(Answer at bottom.)

The Oval

IS A BORDER DEAL COMING? White House officials headed to the Hill today for another round of border talks. Deputy chief of staff NATALIE QUILLIAN, director of the Office of Legislative Affairs SHUWANZA GOFF and Homeland Security Secretary ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS met with Senate negotiators for 90 minutes this morning, and again this afternoon. The negotiators will continue to meet this weekend, during which Sen. KYRSTEN SINEMA said she will be wearing jeans and encouraged reporters to do the same (noted).

The Arizona Independent also said they are “making progress.” White House and Senate negotiators aim to release a framework of agreement on Sunday, and legislative text early next week — though there are a lot of big issues to still work out. The question remains just how far the White House and Democrats will go to reach a deal for Ukraine funding, as Trump-era border policies remain on the negotiating table.

Even if the Senate manages to strike a deal before the holidays, House Speaker MIKE JOHNSON is telling allies he won’t bring the House back until January, per our Congress team.

WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE WANTS YOU TO READ: Anything undermining the legitimacy of recent protest letters that have been anonymously signed by Biden administration staffers who oppose the president’s handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict. Deputy press secretary ANDREW BATES shared this piece by WaPo’s PAUL FARHI four (!!!) times today on X. In the piece, Farhi writes that staffers did not sign their names out of fear of retribution, but that anonymity leaves questions about who wrote the letters and “whether the number of people reportedly supporting them actually did so.”

WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE WANTS YOU TO WATCH: This new video showing Biden and former President BARACK OBAMA teaming up to protect Obamacare. In the 30-second spot, Biden reads a text asking if Obamacare is “still a thing.” To which Obama replies: “Yes, Obamacare, the Affordable Care Act, Bidencare, whatever you call it — yes, it is still a thing. The other side’s been trying to repeal it every year since it’s existed. But we’ll keep fighting to protect it.”

Communications director BEN LABOLT and deputy communications director HERBIE ZISKEND shared CNN’s ARLETTE SAENZ and KEVIN LIPTAK writeup of the video.

WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE DOESN’T WANT YOU TO READ: This piece by our BRITTANY GIBSON about how Biden may not automatically get an endorsement from the International Brotherhood of Teamsters like he did in 2020. The union has taken meetings with two of the president’s biggest independent rivals, CORNEL WEST and MARIANNE WILLIAMSON, with the union president SEAN O’BRIEN saying that candidates will have to work for Teamsters’ support.

“Our union wants every candidate to know that there are 1.3 million Teamsters nationwide whose votes will not be taken for granted,” O’Brien said in a press release.

NOT THE REACTION THEY WERE LOOKING FOR: First lady JILL BIDEN released a video on Thursday of dancers performing a rendition of the Nutcracker at the White House, and it yielded some … constructive criticism. You can read the comments for yourself, but we’ll give you one of the milder ones, wondering: “What’s with the Hunger Games aesthetic?”

Tough crowd.

A COMEDIAN WALKS INTO THE WHITE HOUSE: Comedian CONAN O’BRIEN stopped by the White House briefing room Friday. The 6’4” redhead was hard to miss, and Reuters’ STEVE HOLLAND snapped a pic. Asked by White House reporter MAREK WALKUSKI if he would attend the reporters’ Christmas party in the White House basement Friday, O’Brien declined.

The White House said that during his visit, O’Brien taped an interview with the president for his podcast, Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend.

ALUMNI DAY: On Saturday, Vice President KAMALA HARRIS and second gentleman Doug Emhoff will travel to Atlanta to attend the Cricket Celebration Bowl. The Florida A&M Rattlers will face off against the vice president’s alma mater, the Howard University Bison, WSBTV’s COURTNEY MARTINEZ reports.

A message from Keep the Promise Coalition:

President Biden, keep your promise to Native Tribes! Secretary Haaland is considering a decision that would pit some of our country’s most marginalized communities against each other and irreparably deprive several Tribes of significant revenues. A bipartisan coalition of senators, representatives, and governors, along with local elected officials and Tribal leaders, strongly oppose this decision, which would harm Tribes and open the floodgates for an explosion of gaming across the country. Read More.

Agenda Setting

BIPARTISAN PUSHBACK: A group of bipartisan senators, led by Sens. JEANNE SHAHEEN (D-N.H.) and THOM TILLIS (R-N.C), sent a letter Friday to Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN, criticizing the State Department’s proposed changes to the federal au pair program. As first reported by West Wing Playbook on Monday, the department’s proposal could double the cost to host an au pair, leading to concern from lawmakers.

Saying they are “concerned by the lack of consultation with stakeholders in the drafting of this proposed rule,” the lawmakers called on the State Department to rescind the current proposal.

MIGHT BE AWHILE: National Security adviser JAKE SULLIVAN confirmed at a news conference Friday in Tel Aviv that the Israel-Hamas war could take “months,” and that the United States continues in its support of Israel’s efforts, WaPo’s LIZ SLY reports.

Sullivan seemed to downplay previous reports of administration officials wanting Israel to scale down their operations in Gaza. Sullivan also noted that there will be a transition from high intensity bombing to rooting out Hamas leaders.

MORE TAX CREDITS. THIS TIME FOR PLANES: The Biden administration on Friday unveiled initial parameters on a tax incentive aimed at cutting emissions from aviation, our KELSEY TAMBORRINO reports for Pro subscribers.

The proposal would incentivize the sale and mixture of sustainable aviation fuels, which can fuel engines through agricultural projects, with the Treasury Department now saying that under their model, several more fuels will qualify.

A message from Keep the Promise Coalition:

What We're Reading

What could Cornel West cost Biden? (POLITICO’s Zach Montellaro)

Biden’s Smart Strategy for Outmanoeuvring Bibi (The Atlantic’s Yair Rosenberg)

Inside the first-ever White House holiday party for internet celebs (Kyle Tharp’s FWIW newsletter)

A message from Keep the Promise Coalition:

President Biden, keep your promise to Native Tribes! The Interior Department is considering a decision that would undermine your historic support of Native communities and commitment to advancing equity—both for and among Tribes.

Congress passed the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) to support Tribal communities through gaming revenues, while limiting the risks associated with gaming in communities across country. Now, one Tribe wants the Interior to help them circumvent the law and open more casinos, which would not only harm Tribes in Oregon, but open the floodgates for an explosion of gaming across the country. Read More.

POTUS PUZZLER ANSWER

THEODORE ROOSEVELT’s pets during his time in the White House included a small bear named JONATHAN EDWARDS, a lizard named BILL, and guinea pigs named ADMIRAL DEWEY, DR. JOHNSON, BISHOP DOANE, FIGHTING BOB EVANS and FATHER O’GRADY.

He also owned a pig, badger, blue macaw, hen and a one-legged rooster, to name a few. One of the most beloved pets in the Roosevelt family was ALGONQUIN the pony. He was so popular among his children that once, when one child got sick, his siblings snuck the pony up an elevator to his room.

A CALL OUT! Do you think you have a harder trivia question? Send us your best one about the presidents, with a citation or sourcing, and we may feature it!

Edited by Eun Kyung Kim and Sam Stein.

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