TRUMP BUSINESS: “President Trump’s family business saw its overall revenues decline modestly in 2018, according to his annual financial report released Thursday [5-16-19], suggesting a disconnect between the Trump brand and the still-growing national economy. The revenue declines were most pronounced at some of Mr. Trump’s best-known properties, including the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, which experienced a nearly 10 percent drop. Hotels in Chicago and Hawaii, as well as golf courses in Los Angeles, Philadelphia and the Bronx, also saw declines, suggesting that sales are being affected by consumers deciding to turn away from the Trump brand, industry analysts said. The results were somewhat better for the Trump International Hotel in Washington, which has become a favored spot for Republicans, lobbyists and some foreign governments and accounts for nearly 10 percent of the Trump Organization’s revenues. The hotel took in $40.8 million, up about 1 percent from what it reported in 2017. The intersection of Mr. Trump’s business and his official role at the Washington hotel is at the heart of lawsuits accusing him of violating the emoluments clauses of the Constitution, which seek to limit the financial benefits a president can receive from foreign and state governments.”
–Steve Eder, Eric Lipton and Agustin Armendariz, “Trump’s Financial Disclosure Shows Mixed Results for His Businesses in 2018,” The New York Times online, May 16, 2019