Trump Often Uses The Campaign Spotlight To Promote His Own Brand

As Hillary Clinton traverses battleground states across the country in the final stretch of the election, Donald Trump paid a visit Wednesday to the solidly Democratic, tiny District of Columbia.

He wasn't there for D.C.'s votes.

Trump was attending the opening of the Trump International Hotel Washington, D.C., in what is known as the Old Post Office building on Pennsylvania Avenue, blocks from the White House.

"I hope that all of you have many, many occasions over time to come and experience this wonderful hotel," Trump Hotel Collection CEO Eric Danziger said. "But if you allow me a moment of a commercial, I hope you will experience our other wonderful hotels as well."

Ivanka Trump mentioned several other Trump properties, including golf resorts in Florida, Scotland and Ireland, and a skyscraper under construction in Vancouver, British Columbia.

"Two years ago when we promised the city of D.C. that Trump would be coming to Pennsylvania Avenue in 2016, we had no idea what we were foreshadowing," she joked, before introducing her father.

Donald Trump also noted the hotel's proximity to the White House.

"With the notable exception of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., this is the most coveted piece of real estate in Washington, D.C.," he said.

Trump boasted that the hotel was "under budget and ahead of schedule," and he used that as an example of his ability to get things done, before criticizing the U.S. government's handling of veterans' care, the "depleted" military, the tax code, the education system and the Affordable Care Act.

As he wrapped up, he said: "We're going into the lobby. We're going to cut a ribbon and then I'm going to North Carolina."

This wasn't the first time Trump has used the media attention given to his presidential campaign to highlight his brand. Wednesday's event was just the latest in a pattern of promotions — and the third instance this week.

Trump International Hotel — Old Post Office

Trump has held multiple events at the Old Post Office building throughout his campaign and has used them as an opportunity to talk up the new hotel. In March, Trump used the property as the location of a news conference.

Trump had met with GOP lawmakers that day, perhaps in an effort to build a relationship with the Republican Party. Trump did answer questions about the meeting, but not before boasting about the construction project.

"When it's completed, it will be truly one of the great hotels of the world," Trump said. He went on to tout, among other things, the speaker system, the marble floors and the bathroom fixtures. Trump also said the hotel would employ at least 500 people "largely from the area." At one point in the five-minute preamble to his answer on Republican unity, he offered a hotel job to a woman in the audience.

In September, Trump used the hotel for an event purported to honor veterans and to finally tell reporters, after repeatedly dodging the question, that he does believe President Obama was born in the United States.

During that news conference, Trump opened by saying: "Thank you very much, everybody. Please sit down. Nice hotel. Under budget and ahead of schedule, isn't that nice?"

Before addressing the birther conspiracy theory he fueled for years, Trump promoted the hotel's "brand-new ballroom" and its October opening.

Trump National Doral Miami

On Tuesday, Trump held an event at his golf resort in Doral, Fla., near Miami.

"We're very proud of this. It's 800 acres in the middle of Miami," Trump told the audience. "It's been a tremendous success."

Trump connected the property to what he says is his ability to create jobs. He said the resort employs more than 1,000 people: "Eighty percent are Hispanic. People don't know these things."

At the event, Trump reportedly invited resort workers to give testimonials about their experiences working there. According to the Los Angeles Times, he joked, "Better say good, or I'll say you're fired."

Trump International Hotel & Tower New York

On Monday, Trump's campaign launched "nightly campaign coverage" on Facebook Live, with plans to broadcast from Trump Tower daily until Election Day.

Trump has used the tower for other important campaign events, including his announcement that he was running for president in June 2015.

For that speech, Trump entered by coming down the lobby escalator with his wife, Melania. It's a moment he recalls frequently on the campaign trail, calling it his "golden Trump Tower escalator."

"It's great to be at Trump Tower," he said at the beginning of the speech.

"I'm really rich," he said later on. "That's the kind of thinking you need for this country. So — because we got to make the country rich."

Trump Turnberry

In June, Trump visited his golf course in Turnberry, Scotland, just after the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union, a decision known as "Brexit."

He praised the U.K., saying voters there has "taken back their independence." But he also took time to praise his property.

"It was just judged to be the greatest course ever built," Trump said. "We're very proud of it, and I have gotten to know the people of Scotland so well, through my mother and through everything else. The people of Scotland are amazing people."

Other Trump products

On March 8, Trump spoke at the Trump National Golf Club in Jupiter, Fla., after winning the Republican presidential primaries in Michigan, Mississippi and Hawaii. He responded at length to attacks on his business record by going through a thorough inventory of his products, most of which he does not actually own:

On Trump Steaks: "We have Trump steaks. And by the way, if you want to take one, we'll charge you about, what, 50 bucks a steak?"

On Trump Winery: "We're very proud of it. We make the finest wine, as good a wine as you can get anywhere in the world. And I know the press is extremely honest so I won't offer them any, but if they want, they can take a bottle of wine home."

On Trump Shuttle: "I sold the airline and I actually made a great deal, complicated and in really terrible times. The economy was horrible and I made a phenomenal deal."

On Trump University: "Their report cards were all excellent, beautiful statements. We love it," Trump said. "We have a lot of great people who want to get back into Trump University. It's going to do very well and it will continue to do very well."

On Trump Ice, aka Trump Natural Spring Water: "We have water and it's a very successful — you know it's a private little water company and I supply the water for all my places and it's good — but it's very good."

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