The U.S. ruling party is full of Trump's businesses... 3.8 billion won spent on hospitality and lodging over 2 years

(Washington = Yonhap News) Correspondent Park Seong-min = The Washington Post (WP) reported on the 26th (local time) that the election campaign and political action committee (PAC) of the ruling Republican Party of the United States have been spending large amounts of money on President Donald Trump's businesses even during his second term in office.

According to reports, from last year to last September, the Republican House and Senate election campaigns and political organizations spent $2.9 million (approximately 3.8 billion won) on fundraising events, lodging, meals, and other expenses, including hosting donors, at resorts operated by the Trump family company, the Trump Organization, in Florida.

President Trump's home, 'Mar-a-Lago Club' in Palm Beach, spent the most with $1.4 million, and Miami's golf course and hotel, 'Trump National Doral' was second with $1.1 million.

Subsequently, large amounts of money were also spent at three Trump golf courses, including in Los Angeles, Virginia near Washington DC, and near Mar-a-Lago Club.

Compared to the first term of office, it is noticeable that the location of spending has changed.

During Trump's first term, the Trump International Hotel in Washington DC, which was crowded with Republicans trying to impress President Trump, ranked first with $1.3 million during the same period, but now the center has moved to Mar-a-Lago.

The Trump Organization sold the hotel business rights in May 2022.

In particular, WP pointed out that during the second term of office, spending at the Mar-a-Lago resort increased more than three times compared to the first term, considering rising prices.

Regarding this, WP pointed out, "Although overall spending has decreased slightly (compared to the first term), the fact that spending continues shows the continued financial ties between the Republican political organization and the president's private companies."

The largest customer was the Republican National Committee (RNC), which spent $1.8 million. Next were President Trump's representative super PAC, MAGA Inc., and the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), and organizations supporting Rep. Ronnie Jackson (Texas) and Rep. Joe Mitchell (Iowa) were also listed as large spenders.

“We hold events where donors want to go, and that’s Mar-a-Lago,” NRCC spokesman Mike Marinella told The Post. “All of those events raised far more than they cost.”

On the other hand, the Democratic Party is attacking groups related to congressmen from other states, such as Jackson and Mitchell, saying they are "out of touch with local voters" for spending large amounts of money in Florida.

However, WP pointed out that the media's interest in the expenditure of various political funds from President Trump's properties decreased during his second term in office compared to his first term. This is because President Trump's business is earning more income from virtual currency and digital tokens than from real estate.

“When it comes to virtual currency companies, numbers in the billions are often mentioned, which makes the scale of any spending at Trump’s hotels and restaurants seem small,” said Andrew Meyerson, a researcher at OpenSecrets, a U.S. political funding tracking company.