Dem
51
GOP
49
As far as Democratic political insiders go, the Waldorf Astoria in downtown Washington is the hottest spot in town. It's a great place to get tea, in the grand atrium. Or, if something a little colder is wanted, then maybe one of the champagne selections at José Andrés' restaurant Bazaar (where food options include crab croquettes, steamed pork belly, Chinese buns and Spanish octopus). Or there's also sushi at Sushi Nakazawa.
Of course, it's a hotel, so there are also meeting rooms, which are often packed with gatherings hosted by various Democratic groups. And there are the actual rooms, which host hundreds of Democratic dignitaries and guests nightly. Fortunately for all involved, it's easy enough to stay on top of the latest news, as the hotel's TVs are tuned to MSNBC and CNN.
This is rather a sea change from a year or so ago, when the hotel was still Trump International D.C. Back then, the guests were all Republicans (mostly MAGA types) and/or people looking to make nice with Donald Trump, the TVs were all tuned to Fox, and the food... well, we don't know for sure, but our guess is that there weren't a lot of orders for Spanish octopus or crab croquettes.
The shift in clientele is due, in part, to ownership that knows that D.C. is a predominantly Democratic city, and that is the correct demographic to target. But it's also due to schadenfreude; quite a few visitors are there, in part, to stick it to the former president. "This is like a 'fu** you' to Trump," said one visitor who talked to Politico, while carrying a Joe Biden tote and deciding on which champagne he'd drink.
The only real question here is, what part of this do you think is most galling to Trump?
It's probably a tie between all of the above.
Thanks, incidentally, to reader D.S. in Oakton VA for bringing this item to our attention. (Z)