'Pay Bribes Here' Projected onto Trump's DC Hotel
Hotel & Resort Patrick Clarke May 16, 2017
President Donald Trump's Washington, D.C. hotel has been vandalized yet again.
Instead of spray paint or flames, the defacing came in the form of a projector this time around.
According to CNN, artist and filmmaker Robin Bell admitted to projecting several phrases onto the Trump International Hotel Monday night.
These included "Pay Trump bribes here" and "Emoluments welcome" in reference to the emoluments clause that prohibits federal officials from accepting payments from foreign governments.
Right now at Trump's DC hotel! pic.twitter.com/95cwrUmbmF
— igorvolsky (@igorvolsky) May 16, 2017
Bell told CNN that his goal was to draw attention to accusations that Trump was allowing foreign leaders to gain access in exchange for staying at his luxury hotel.
"It's a pretty clear-cut example of impropriety," Bell told CNN in a telephone interview. "This is not like politics as usual. The rules and the lines are being pushed so far and this seemed to be so clear to me."
Had a lot of fun projecting #emolumentswelcome on Trump hotel pic.twitter.com/FlFr2ITJtj
— robin bell (@bellvisuals) May 16, 2017
Opened last fall, the Trump International Hotel occupies the Old Post Office building that's being leased out by the General Services Administration (GSA).
House Democrats have been up in arms for months, arguing that Trump has violated his lease since being sworn into the Oval Office. Despite the calls for the president to divest from the property, the GSA has sided with Trump, though their ruling hasn't stopped some local businesses from lashing out. Earlier this year, a D.C. wine bar filed a lawsuit against Trump alleging the five-star hotel had an unfair advantage in attracting customers.
READ MORE: Donald Trump's New DC Hotel Ranked Among Worst of 2016
Bell credited the hotel staff for shutting down his display pretty quickly, telling CNN it was short-lived because the hotel's staff is "pretty diligent about asking to take them down."
Nonetheless, more protests are likely to continue.
"There will be a lot more projections to come," Bell said. "We're going to keep going."
Projections of #EmolumentsWelcome at Trump Hotel in Washington, DC 5-15-17 #resist pic.twitter.com/8gkucztYOm
— robin bell (@bellvisuals) May 16, 2017
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