Ditch your Donald Trump-brand power ties, LL readers: The Donald is out of style in the District after sliming Mexican immigrants. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton has asked for an apology, while Muriel Bowser tells NBC4 that Trump’s remarks were “idiotic.”
But Bowser and a bunch of other District pols haven’t always been so sour on the mogul. In 2013, Norton and councilmembers like David Grosso and Vincent Orange turned out to hobnob with Trump at an event for his Old Post Office hotel.
In 2014, Bowser, Norton, and Vince Gray pulled out golden shovels for Trump’s groundbreaking. Then-Bowser mayoral rival David Catania, meanwhile, declined to join the “grinfest.”
By then, remember, Trump wasn’t just a funny buffoon with a catchphrase. He had already been on a Barack Obama birth certificate kick for years, but didn’t stop District officials from gushing over him at the groundbreaking. Here’s Bowser:
“I wanted to come and greet you and add my thanks and appreciation to the Trump organization. Donald, we want to thank you for your interest and your commitment and your vision for this building. We know that you make no small plans, and that’s exactly what we see in our future: no small plans.”
Norton:
“I am so pleased to see the whole Trump family.”
And Gray:
“I’m delighted to be here. First of all, with the Trump family, with Donald Trump and Ivanka, and the other members of the Trump family, we are delighted to have you coming to Washington in this way.”
Bowser has a more material reason to be happy with Trump—-he gave $5,000 to her January inaugural committee.
Photo by Aaron Wiener