A return to the White House may not be the only reunion Donald Trump has in store on Pennsylvania Avenue.
The Trump Organization is considering options for a business deal involving the Waldorf Astoria Washington D.C., the New York Post reported. That could involve a licensing deal or buying back the lease of the Old Post Office at 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW.
The president-elect is reportedly interested in a hospitality investment in the nation’s capital, though there’s been no formal outreach from the Trump Organization in regards to the Waldorf Astoria. Eric Trump, who oversees the firm’s day-to-day operations, told the Post that, “if asked, we would save it again.”
A spokesperson for Hilton declined to comment.
The Trump family sold the leasing rights of the hotel to Raoul Thomas’ CGI Merchant Group for $375 million in 2022. The Trump Organization reportedly never owned the property but leased it from the federal government.
The hotel was a major source of controversy during Trump’s first presidential term, as lobbyists, politicians and foreign entities flocked to the property, sparking ethics concerns around the administration.
Miami-based CGI ran into problems with the hotel almost immediately. Over the summer, the company lost the leasing rights to a foreclosure action after defaulting on a $285 million loan last year. The Trump Organization sued CGI this year when the latter defaulted on a $28 million loan.
BDT & MSD Partners, the owner of the $285 million note, bought the leasing rights for $100 million at a foreclosure auction.
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CGI has said it would fight to retain the exclusive leasing rights, telling the Wall Street Journal over the summer that it was in “intense discussion” with the lender and had a “finalized capital solution” on the table.
A spokesperson for the creditor declined to comment to the Post on a possible Trump return.