Donald Trump's DC Hotel Doesn't Even Buy American: Report

WASHINGTON, DC — President Donald Trump hammered home one message more than just about every other during his campaign: hire American, and buy American — or else. But a new report finds he's not following his own policy at his new hotel just a few blocks from the White House.

Trump's visit to Wisconsin last month was filled with rhetoric arguing that American jobs were in jeopardy and that it was time to become "America first." He signed a protectionist executive order that he said would help American workers and has repeatedly demanded that American companies not outsource labor overseas or face consequences.

"The President plans to show America’s trading partners that we mean business by ensuring consequences for countries that engage in illegal or unfair trade practices that hurt American workers," states the White House website. "By standing side-by-side with America’s workers and businesses, the President’s policies will unleash economic growth, create 25 million new jobs, and help Make America Great Again."

But a report by local TV station WUSA9 found that the Trump International Hotel, which opened at the Old Post Office Building just blocks from the White House late last year, buys lots of stuff that wasn't made in America.

For instance, the lobby of the hotel has a massive American flag hanging up, but you might not be able to see it well from certain spots because of the huge Austrian-made Swarovski chandeliers. The hallway also has Chinese-made lamps and Indian-made decorative boxes.

The list went on, and on, and on. Trump's hotel doesn't merely have a few cherry-picked items that aren't made in America; the management has clearly made no effort to even try to exclusively buy American. WUSA9 examined 31 products and found that 21 of them, about two-thirds, were made outside of the United States.

Trump's frequent counter to the fact that he doesn't hire or buy American is that it's not his fault, it's because American goods and workers aren't competitive because of unfair trade policies, and that's what he's working to fix. For example, he's claimed that the U.S. doesn't even make TVs anymore, a claim that is not entirely inaccurate. But many of the items on the list WUSA9 compiled have plenty of American manufacturers.

Trump International Hotel bought its ice buckets from the UK, but the hotel could have simply shopped with USA-based Mr. Ice Bucket. And did the hotel really have to order its robes from China, or could it have contracted with Maine-based L.L. Bean to supply them?

The list goes on. The U.S. has plenty of companies that make umbrellas, but the Trump International Hotel bought them from China, WUSA9 says. The hotel purchased dishes from Germany, but the U.S. has a famous dishware company, Replacements Ltd., based right in North Carolina, a state that voted for Trump thanks to his promises to make American manufacturing great again.

Of course, importing goods from around the world is not uncommon for a luxury hotel. But Trump claimed he would do things differently, and currently, his hotels don't even try.

Image via Gage Skidmore