Feds Move to Sell Old Post Office, Trump’s Former DC Hotel

The federal government is readying to unload a former property of the president: the Old Post Office in Washington, D.C.

The General Services Administration, which owns the building at 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, recently hosted a meeting to discuss a potential disposal of the property, the Washington Post reported. The property was included in a previous potential disposal list dating back to the start of Donald Trump’s second term.

“Transferring this property out of Federal ownership will generate revenue, save taxpayer dollars, and help rightsize the federal real estate portfolio,” a GSA spokesperson said.

There’s been a lot of activity in recent months regarding the building’s leasing rights, but the building itself has remained in the hands of the federal government throughout the saga.

The Trump family sold the leasing rights of the hotel to Raoul Thomas’ CGI Merchant Group for $375 million in 2022. It ultimately became a Waldorf Astoria.

But Miami-based CGI ran into problems with the hotel almost immediately. In 2024, the company lost the leasing rights to a foreclosure action after defaulting on a $285 million loan. The Trump Organization then sued CGI this year when the latter defaulted on a $28 million loan.

BDT & MSD Partners, the owner of the $285 million note, bought the leasing rights for $100 million at a foreclosure auction. It has the first right to buy the building; the company declined to comment to the Post.

The hotel was a frequent source of controversy during Trump’s first presidential term, as lobbyists, politicians and foreign entities stayed at the property, sparking ethics concerns.

At the end of 2024, there was a report that the Trump Organization was considering options for a business deal involving the Waldorf Astoria, either through a licensing deal or buying back the leasing rights. There had been no formal outreach at the time, though, and nothing ever transpired.

— Holden Walter-Warner