Thread by @Z_Everson

Last night I was banned for life from the Trump Hotel DC.

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It was my first (and apparently) last time getting kicked out of the Trump Hotel DC. 2/

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While the ejection itself wasn't much of a surprise, the timing was.

I hadn't been to the Trump Hotel DC since March 2020. (Posts on social media showed it wasn't strict about enforcing Covid protocols). 3/

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Weeks ago I noticed the lowest rate at the Trump Hotel DC last night was $2,400.

But for the life of me, I couldn't figure out why.

So armed with a double-layered mask and anti-bac it time for some shoe-leather reporting.

4/

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My Trump Hotel DC visit started off weird—

I was carded.

(Even masked, nothing about me says "under 40.")

And while it'd been a while, the bartender knew my line of work. Heck, I once landed him a cameo on Inside Edition.

5/

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Now, after going undercover at the Trump Hotel DC with an Inside Edition crew—that's when I expected to be banned.

6/

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Anyway, I quickly figured out the likely reason for the Trump Hotel DC's price spike.

No, it was not welcoming part of the Israeli delegation.

It was hosting a corporate event for an bug exterminator.

7/

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So after settling up and finishing my prosecco (which was a bit bland but what can you expect at $17 a glass), I rose and took a few photos on my phone of the scene—

📸 a bustling lobby

📸 a quiet BLT Prime

📸 an empty Brioni store

8/

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The restrooms are at the other end of the lobby from the bar, so I'd always go there before leaving—gave me an excuse to walk around and look for notables.

You can learn a lot from name tags and lapel pins.

9/

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After finishing up and—unlike some Trump Hotel DC customers—following CDC handwashing guidance, I'm standing by the sinks and texting.

The hotel's director of security opens the door, scans the restroom, and leaves.

10/

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Text sent, I leave the restroom and head towards the Trump Hotel DCs ballroom to see if the pest exterminators booked that space too.

The hotel's security chief beckons though, and tells me I'm going the wrong way (which I was).

11/

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When I reach the hotel's head of security, he tells me that he's asking me to leave and walks me to the door.

He said it was for taking photos without permission.

Now, nobody knows better than me that it's ok to take photos inside the Trump Hotel DC.

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And, while my reporting often relies on photos of Trump Hotel DC guests, I can only recall surreptitiously taking photos of guests twice: Louie Gohmert and Romania's prime minister.

Figured snapping pics of customers was a sure way to get tossed.

13/

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I decided against trying to record my ejection, as OPSEC best-practices necessitated my phone being locked and out of security's reach.

14/

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After we exit the hotel, the security chief informs me that I'm not allow to return.

Standing beside him at this point—the hotel's head of marketing.

15/

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It seems the Trump Hotel DC's marketing director has conflicted opinions about my reporting—

👉 She once told Yahoo News, we "would caution you [not] to publish baseless claims made by Mr. Everson in his ‘newsletter.'”

👉 She's an avid reader.

16/

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The head of hotel security declined to explain why my ban was for life and reps from the Trump Org have not replied to requests for comment.

The Trump Org's trying to sell its lease though, so seems likely I'll get back inside 1100 Penn again.

17/

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Alas, the NPS clocktower is closed due to covid.

https://twitter.com/zippyman818/status/1431303306891124742

An excellent question!

A friend is itching to go there and I'm the only one he knows who'll accompany him.

So I'm going to contact the restaurant directly for a ruling.

https://twitter.com/hunterw/status/1431302162349498369

Thanks for reading. Looking for more reporting along these lines? I [wait for it] have a newsletter.

/20

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My proposed headline, BTW, which I did not expect to survive—

Trump's Hotel Bans the Boswell to Its Johnson

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