It’s a Beast of a time in Washington. Donald Trump’s D.C. reality show is full of new characters, plot twists, and cliffhangers, and the Daily Beast will navigate you through it. The 47th president won’t need to drain The Swamp. It’s all leaking here…
The Swamp is written by David Gardner, Farrah Tomazin, and Sarah Ewall-Wice.
In a subterranean basement in Georgetown, renovation crews have been hard at work putting the finishing touches to Donald Trump Jr.’s new private members club before its vaguely anticipated opening later this year.
The Executive Branch was once the home to Clubhouse D.C.—a billiards bar known for its Tuesday trivia nights, Saturday karaoke and $5 green tea whiskey shooters.
Now it’s a higher-end space with decor and architecture inspired by New York’s Aman hotel, whose members include White House crypto czar David Sacks, venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya, and Gemini’s Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss.
The Swamp scoped out the site this weekend but was politely blocked at the unfurnished entrance by a man dressed in black, who confirmed that the venue would soon be “a private club” but did not elaborate.
What’s clear is that the site, located below a drab shopping and housing complex called Georgetown Park, somewhat under delivers on the luxury ethos of an exclusive hotspot catering for the wealthiest supporters of the Trump administration.
For one thing, Georgetown Park is also home to a Department of Motor Vehicles office, a Gold’s Gym, a H&M store and a T.J. Maxx discount store outlet.
On the first level of the parking garage (where members will be able to enter discreetly if they don’t wish to walk down a not-so-subtle stairwell on Wisconsin Avenue) there’s an Avis and Budget rental car business.
And above the complex are 92 residential condos, including nine that are currently up for grabs, according to the latest real estate listings.
Indeed, for roughly the same price as a top-tier $500,000 membership at the Executive Branch, you could score a 900-square foot one-bedroom apartment with a community pool and shared landscaped courtyard instead.
For $710,000 you could even get a one-bedroom corner unit with “unique neighborhood views”—a nod, perhaps, to the MAGA loyalists who will soon be sipping cocktails in the bar below.
When the Executive Branch does eventually open, membership will initially be capped at around 200, and demand has—apparently—already exceeded that.
Unlike Ned’s Club near the White House, whose sightings have included CNN’s Kaitlan Collins and the Wall Street Journal’s Josh Dawsey, there will be a strict “no media” policy.
Inside, Trump Jr. and co-founder Omeed Malik from 1789 Capital have reportedly added about $10 million worth of art, including original oil paintings and bronze sculptures, and there are several lounge spaces, a bar, and a VIP section.
There will also be a health-conscious menu inspired by Robert F. Kennedy’s Make America Healthy Again movement (think beef tallow instead of seed oils.)
The good news for diners in need of something a little more satisfying is that Filomena’s, one of Bill Clinton’s former favorite DC restaurants, is only a few doors down and still features his go-to dish: the Linguine Cardinale (lobster meat in a creamy sauce served over pasta).
Alternatively, the politicos and tech titans of the Executive Branch could pop across the road to 90-Second Pizza, an occasional favorite for members of the not-so-exclusive Gold’s Gym.
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