With 13 days until the election, Hillary Clinton is in Florida on Wednesday, with Tim Kaine and Elizabeth Warren in Pennsylvania and Chelsea Clinton cruising through Ohio. Donald Trump, meanwhile, is off the campaign trail Wednesday morning to open the Trump International Hotel in deeply liberal Washington, D.C.
The hotel opening will be Trump's second marketing event this week. At an event Tuesday, Trump boasted about Trump National Doral Miami, calling it "one of the greatest places on Earth" and bragging that "bookings are through the roof." On Monday, Trump's campaign also did a soft-launch of a new nightly Facebook live TV program that many believe is a precursor to a Trump media organization.
Trump's campaign has defended their candidate's decision to go to Washington on business so late in the game. "Mr. Trump is attending the opening of his latest project, what many say is the finest hotel in the country," his spokeswoman, Hope Hicks, told Politico. "He is extremely proud of the development, which was finished under budget and ahead of schedule."
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Many others don't see it that way. "This is the worst message to send to all of those true and loyal Trump supporters out there who actually did believe in him and actually did have a stake in this election," Kevin Madden, a former adviser to Mitt Romney, told The New York Times. "With less than two weeks to go until Election Day, Mr. Trump is repaying them by using their campaign to showcase his hotel. He said he wouldn't let them down, but he already has. They have a right to be disappointed."
"Politics is a side hobby for Trump, kind of like fishing or model railroading. Hotels, that's serious business, and I hear the hotel is fabulous," top Republican strategist Curt Anderson told Politico. "Which of his aides would like to take credit for scheduling this trip to D.C.? Is no one able to stand up to this guy? No one at all?"
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