WASHINGTON (AP) — An attempt to oust President Donald Trump’s hotel business from managing a luxury hotel in Panama is turning bitter.
Trump Hotels is contesting its firing — and two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press that Trump’s staff ran off a team of Marriott executives invited last month to visit the property during a search for a new hotel operator.
The head of Trump hotels, Eric Danziger, also called Marriott’s CEO to complain.
The two people spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss publicly what happened behind the scenes.
The dispute raises the awkward matter of how American companies interact with the president’s family-owned business. Marriott has significant business and public policy interests before the Trump administration.