Donald Trump wants to crush The Swamp. The leaks, the sneaks, and the secrets are all there. Our writers, David Gardner, Farrah Tomazin, Sarah Ewall-Wice, and Laura Esposito, are sifting through the ooze so you don’t have to. Don’t miss out.
Did someone forward this to you? Sign up here to stay up to date with the n-ooze.
In this week’s nooze from the ooze: Maria Callas, Carlos Ghosn, Karoline Leavitt, John E. Sununu, John H. Sununu, Chris Sununo, Oedipus, Diane “Dede” Wilsey, Nicholas Riccio, Kimberly Guilfoyle, Ioanna Efthimiou, Marco Rubio, Scott Jennings, John J. Cafaro, Andrew Yang, and Gregory Bovino.
Poor Reflection on Trump’s Construction Delays
Devastating photos taken by The Swamp reveal how D.C.’s Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is empty, fenced off, and looking like the world’s most expensive construction site.
In fact, it is a literal quagmire.
Three weeks after a giant storm thwarted Trump’s already botched revamp, broken fencing, litter and other debris is still strewn around the pool, with one section of the fence even stuck together with miles of yellow police tape after nosy visitors started to get into the restricted repair zone. In recent days, The Swamp has also spotted workers removing blue sealant to fix the pool’s expansion joints, while rain (of which there will be plenty this week) continues to delay the renovation.
It’s hard to believe Trump started the project back in April, predicting it would be finished in “two weeks.”
Twenty weeks later, the White House still can’t say when it will be complete. At this rate, Christmas might be a good scenario—presumably as long as the weather doesn’t get worse.
And then there’s the awkward part: the contractor has admitted what Trump hasn’t—that problems with the renovation itself are what caused the liner to fail, not “evil, sick” vandals.
The good news? At least Washington has finally got its gold statues. The four Arts of War and Arts of Peace sculptures which frame Arlington Memorial Bridge have finally emerged, gleaming under 24-karat gold leaf, including the statue honoring “Sacrifice.” (Trump is fully on board with sacrifice for others, of course, just not self-sacrifice.) The fourth and final statue, “Music and Harvest” was unveiled last week.
The catch: Trump’s desire to revamp the once bronze statues cost more than $5 million—double its original $2.5 million budget—and none of them made their debut before the July 4 celebrations, which is why he embarked on the tacky project in the first place.
Leavitt Renovating Her Image as Her May-December Husband Sees Stars
As former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt , 29, begins her new life renovating a condo in Florida with her 61-year-old real estate developer husband, Nicholas Riccio, it appears she may still have some PR work to do–this time not for her boss Donald Trump but for her the motel that she and her husband own in her hometown of Hampton Beach.
Set one block from the renowned New Hampshire seacoast, the Nautical Motel boasts 55 rooms, with a double or deluxe accommodation now running for about $159-a-night (includes cable color TV, covered motorcycle parking but not breakfast.) The Motel is part of the $6 million property empire Riccio has built up after spending some time homeless as a teenager.
The Nautical Motel LLC even gets a mention in Leavitt’s public disclosures report for her husband’s business income, along with his other companies, Nautical Beach Resort LLC, and Riccio Enterprises LLC.
Expedia gives the motel an 8.2 “very good” rating and apparently received “multiple” 10 out of 10 marks from couples. “Decent place to stay for the money,” was a sample verdict. Tripadvisor averaged out its reviews for the “Nautical Motel and Beach Properties” at 3.7 out of five stars. One person suggested, however, that you might meet louder neighbors, and to give it a miss if you’re looking for peace and quiet. “If you are not looking to party-go north 40-60 minutes,” tipped one guest. Booking.com also gave it a creditable “good” average of 7.4. “The location was fantastic! Bed was broken on one side but we made it work!” (Errr, “work”?)
Unfortunately, the motel could only manage 2.2 stars on Yelp, the crowd-sourced reviews site.
Among the complaints on the ratings site were the allegedly worn furniture, uncomfortable beds, lack of running water, broken cabinets and peeling flooring, as well as noise from a biker bar across the street. One unhappy guest said there were “very old unused tampons” under the sink and “an inch of pinkish liquid inside the drawer.” (Eww.)
Of course, it’s not all bad. Some of the complainants praised the helpful staff. “It’s a beachy feel meaning it’s not a Ritz but it’s clean and comfortable,” wrote one guest.
Nevertheless, improving the motel’s rating seems like a job tailor-made for Leavitt. After all, she spent years with Trump helping to sweep trash under the carpet.
Nepobabies Unite to Get Behind One of Their Own
Republican Senate candidate John E. Sununu, member of the New Hampshire political dynasty, has been making his campaign a pro-family affair. Pro-family as in getting money from other families. The seat is one of the few Republicans think they might be able to flip, with the pools suggesting it’s pretty tight with Democrat Chris Pappas. A review of donations to Sununu, the son of former Governor John H. Sununu, and brother of Governor Chris Sununu, found he’s received more than $90,000 in donations from the children of other heirs. Chief among them was a donation from MAGA megadonor John J. Cafaro, whose father, developer William A. Cafaro, left his family $800 million in 1998. Cafaro gave Team Sununu $12,500, FEC records show. If that name sounds familiar, it’s the same Cafaro, a convicted felon and doppelganger for Fat Tony in The Simpsons, who owned Greenwater Services, the business that received the no-bid contract for Trump’s botched Reflecting Pool, as The New York Times previously reported.
Then there’s Anthony Ghosn, who donated $25,000 to Sununu’s Senate bid. An unusual surname, you might think. And you’d be right! He’s the son of Lebanese-Brazilian former Nissan CEO and fugitive millionaire Carlos Ghosn, who fled Japan in 2019 in a music case while out on bail for financial misconduct. At the same time, Nijad Fares, son of Lebanese businessman Issam Fares, gave Sununu $7,000 between this year and last. (The Sununu clan trace their roots to, among other places, Lebanon.) Walmart heir Jim C. Walton also donated $7,000 to Sununu in April. Add to that socialite Diane “Dede” Wilsey, heir to Dow Chemical Company, who gave $7,000 to Team Sununu in June. Her son, former Ambassador Trevor Traina, also gave Sununu $10,000. His middle name also happens to be Dow.
And then there’s one of the ultimate political nepobabies of all time: President George W. Bush, who gave Sununu $7,000 last December. Of course, the pair’s political ties go way back as Sununu’s father was President George H.W. Bush’s chief of staff. Meanwhile, Representative Chris Pappas, the Democrat running against Sununu for the senate seat, comes from a family with its own claim to fame. Pappas’s grandfather Charlie invented the chicken tender at The Puritan Backroom, the family’s restaurant in Manchester, NH.
How Much Would You Pay to Meet CNN’s MAGAmouth?
Would you pay $550 to meet Scott Jennings? We wouldn’t but that’s the going rate for a meet-and-greet with the CNN political commentator and prominent MAGA mouthpiece when he takes the stage with former Democratic presidential primary candidate Andrew Yang at D.C.’s Warner Theater next month.
The event, It’s Up For Debate, promises two hours of “substantive” political conversation, seven moderated discussions and topics ranging from immigration and the economy to media and civic trust. So just like Newsnight With Abby Philip live.
Regular tickets to just see Jennings cost considerably less, starting from $51 in the nosebleeds, where you can inspect his newly slimmed-down physique through your opera glasses, to almost $200 for orchestra seats, where you can gaze up close at his artful conservative styling. Still, $547.90 is quite a premium for a close encounter with a would-be White House press secretary. The Swamp has questions: Is the handshake extra? And does Jennings autograph the receipt?
Kimberly Launches a Greek Myth-Tery
While Donald Trump grapples with the media in Washington, his not-to-be-daughter-in-law Kimberly Guilfoyle has no such issues in Athens, where she is ever-present in the local Attica Times. In Sunday’s issue, every story on the front page was about her, Donald Trump, or Marco Rubio—and all in glowing terms.
Guilfoyle-Rubio: A Strong U.S. Message From Athens”, “Marco Rubio to Visit Athens “,” Trump: Historic Agreement in Greenland”, and (in the “Culture and Democracy” slot) “Guilfoyle in Athens.”
The outlet’s owner is cloaked in a mystery worthy of the Riddle of the Sphinx. The Attica Times is registered to a company in Kallithea, Athens, which does not declare the names of its owners or shareholders. But the paper’s PR and Communications Manager is artist Ioanna Efthimiou, president and founder of the Maria Callas Monaco Gala, who isn’t speaking to The Swamp, but has glowing words for Madame Ambassador’s “inspiring spirit, genuine friendship, and outstanding leadership.” Looking at her Instagram account, Efthimiou would fit right into the Palm Beach belle monde.
Can you undo this Grecian riddle like Oedipus did for the Riddle of the Sphinx? The Swamp would like to hear from you… Email us at theswamp@thedailybeast.com
Bovino Goes Undercovered
When it comes to New York, if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere. Unfortunately, Gregory Bovino, the ousted Border Patrol commander, doesn’t fall into either category. The almost cartoonish villain of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown left his Gestapo-inspired greatcoat at home during a recent visit to the Big Apple, where he spoke at an event for the ever-so-embattled New York Young Republican Club. Unfortunately for Bovino, his conversation with NYYRC President Stefano Forte was cut short when a pair of protesters holding signs that read “Bovino is a murderer” managed to infiltrate the Women’s National Republican Club.
Then, Bovino’s New York minute took a darker turn when he said that federal officers had taken too much of a “light touch” in Minnesota, where the immigration crackdown resulted in the deaths of U.S. citizens Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good who were protesting to protect their neighbors. He might have left the SS-adjacent outfit at home but he certainly left a Nazi taste in New York.
