Two small businesses claim they still haven't been paid for their work on Donald Trump's new D.C. hotel

President-elect Donald Trump may have finished building his Washington, D.C., hotel ahead of schedule, but he reportedly still hasn't finished paying the bills. The Washington Post reported Thursday that two contractors claim they have yet to be paid for some of their work on Trump's $212 million hotel.
Joseph J. Magnolia, Inc., a family-owned plumbing company, is reportedly out $2.98 million after working on the Trump hotel for more than two years. The company's president John D. Magnolia said most of the work — which included "all the plumbing, mechanical, and HVAC work, along with site sewer, storm, and water services" — has been paid for, but the company is still waiting on its last check. Another firm, A&D Construction, claims the Trump Organization owes $79,000 for its work on the hotel's wall base and crown molding.
Both companies have filed a lien to protest the lack of payment, an occurrence that a Trump Organization spokesperson said "is not uncommon" at the "conclusion of construction." Trump, The Washington Post noted, has a history of not paying his contractors in full — and as recently as May, he told The Wall Street Journal, "I love to hold back and negotiate when people don't do good work."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Magnolia, however, has faith it's all going to work out — and he even admitted he voted for Trump in the election. "Unfortunately Mr. Trump and Ivanka and so forth, they are I guess preoccupied by other matters now," Magnolia said. "They are trying to go run the country. So we'll just see what happens."
For more on the story — including how the liens could affect Trump's lease with the federal government — head over to The Washington Post.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Democrats: How to rebuild a damaged brand
Feature Trump's approval rating is sinking, but so is the Democratic brand
-
Unraveling autism
Feature RFK Jr. has vowed to find the root cause of the 'autism epidemic' in months. Scientists have doubts.
-
'Two dolls': Can Trump sell Americans on austerity?
Feature Trump's tariffs may be threatening holiday shelves but they've handed Democrats a 'huge gift'
-
Warren Buffet announces surprise retirement
speed read At the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the billionaire investor named Vice Chairman Greg Abel his replacement
-
Trump calls Amazon's Bezos over tariff display
Speed Read The president was not happy with reports that Amazon would list the added cost from tariffs alongside product prices
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loom
Speed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panels
Speed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of business
Speed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pauses
Speed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect
-
Chinese AI chatbot's rise slams US tech stocks
Speed Read The sudden popularity of a new AI chatbot from Chinese startup DeepSeek has sent U.S. tech stocks tumbling
-
US port strike averted with tentative labor deal
Speed Read The strike could have shut down major ports from Texas to Maine