“The Trump International Hotel has become a prominent symbol, in the heart of our nation’s capital, of Trump’s success at exploiting his elective office for personal gain.”
That is patent nonsense. It was a success long before Trump ever announced his run for the presidency, and his companies, all of them collectively don’t need his presidency for their continued success.
Also, I am sure, Trump does not personally see anyone using, or not using his hotel in D.C. as a point to favor or disfavor them. Mere “appearances” are often not reality, and “conflict of interest” matters should, within the law, require bonafide tit-for-tat actions that are in evidence.
It would be unbelievable to me think Trump would ask “where did Gorsuch make that speech; at my hotel I hope”, or just as unbelievable for Gorsuch to say “Trump will see I am with him if I do this speech at his hotel”. The writer thinks their fantasies amount to a conflict of interest.
“It was a success long before Trump ever announced his run for the presidency”
The article is talking about the one in DC. It opened in Sep 2016, a coupler months before Trump was elected.
“..all of them collectively don’t need his presidency for their continued success.”
If anything, his Presidency has probably hurt the bottom line at the hotels. The article says $2M in the first qtr of 2017 ? That would have doubled if he never ran.