Tag: Donald Trump (Page 1 of 2)

Trump vs. Exxon: When Irresponsible Policy Meets Oil Industry Reality

oil refinery

Sadly, we have an idiot running the country.

In a fresh twist on U.S.-Venezuela drama, President Trump is clashing with Exxon Mobil over his ridiculous push to revive the country’s massive but battered oil sector following the U.S.-backed ouster of Nicolás Maduro.

At a White House meeting on Friday with top oil executives, Trump pitched big incentives: unspecified U.S. security guarantees for companies willing to invest heavily in fixing Venezuela’s crumbling energy infrastructure. He envisions U.S. firms (and others) pouring in billions to boost production, lower global energy prices, and deliver economic wins back home.

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Trump’s tariffs create headaches for U.S. spirits industry

Jim Beam bottle of whiskey next to cocktails on bar

Donald Trump has created a mess with his tariffs, and we’re starting to see evicence across various industries.

The spirits industry in the U.S. is facing all sorts of challenges. Young people are drinking much less alcohol. The post-Covid booze boom has subsided. And there’s a ton of supply. One executive in the beer business told me this is the worst year of his 35-year career.

The recent news from Jim Beam has certainly rattled people. The company is pausing production of its flagship bourbon product for all of 2026! That’s a real punch in the gut.

The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board doesn’t mince words as they place blame squarely and Trump an dhis tariffs. Even as some tariffs are lifted, the damage has been done. Canadians hate him and gleefully avoid American products. So it’s much more than a simple cost issue. It’s a destruction of the American brand. It will be interesting to see how this starts to manifest in other industries.

Problems for Trump hotels?

This story about reduced prices for rooms at the new Trump hotel in Washington, D.C. seem to confirm suspicions from Mark Cuban and other that the Trump brand is becoming toxic.

Last weekend bankers and dignitaries from around the world descended on Washington for the annual World Bank–IMF meetings. But just a few days before, the conference rooms were not only still available at Trump International, they were heavily discounted. On October 2, a deluxe room, with a rack rate of $805, could be had for as low $445 a night on Hotels.com. All other five-star D.C. downtown hotels were sold out. By Wednesday, October 5, weekend stays in the deluxe rooms were marked down to $404 per night on Trump International’s own website. The more luxurious 500-square-foot executive rooms, with a city view and marble bath, were only $484. By comparison, at the Waldorf-Astoria in Georgetown, the only available rooms were $1,139 per night, according to Hotels.com.

Mark Cuban predicted this, and it will be interesting to see if this trend continues after the election.

Is Donald Trump destroying his brand?

Donald Trump 1

Would you stay at a Donald Trump property? Would you buy a condo with the Trump name on it? If you’re reading a blog like this, you’re probably one of the millions of people repulsed by Donald Trump’s disgraceful campaign for the presidency. You have to think that this will have an effect on his business model which revolves around the power of the Trump name.

We asked this same question five years ago during the Donald’s birther mania, but even that racist attack didn’t hurt his brand. But now with his presidential campaign and repeated racist and offensive statements, it’s hard to imagine he’ll avoid a permanent smear on his reputation.

Mark Cuban has emerged as one of Trump’s most effective critics, as many Americans respect Cuban’s business acumen, so his attacks on Trump tend to stick. Cuban has predicted that Trump will go personally bankrupt withing seven years of the election if he loses as a result of doing so much damage to his brand.

I have no idea if Trump and his children will ever go bankrupt, but I do know that I would never again stay at a Trump property. I’ve spoken to many professionals and business executives who feels the same way. Trump’s legions of supporters don’t fit the demographic of his business clientele, so Cuban may be right and this could be a real problem for Trump. One can only hope . . .

The Brexit mess

Anyone interested in the stability of the world economy can’t be happy with the Brexit mess. David Cameron took a political risk and it blew up in his face, while also offering a modern lesson of why Alexander Hamilton and James Madison were skeptical of letting the passions of the majority rule in any given moment.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump offered up a typical, idiotic and self-centered response.

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