Trump International Hotel, currently under construction in Washington, D.C., is having a difficult time finding restaurateurs willing to open a restaurant in the hotel.  Two who had previously committed, have since backed out, and guess what?  Donald Trump is suing them both!

The first is chef Jose Andres, who had planned to open a Spanish restaurant in the Trump International Hotel, but pulled out after hearing Trump’s rhetoric about Mexican immigrants.  Andres’ argument is that he would be hard-pressed to find staff willing to work in a Trump facility.  Andres owns 8 other restaurants in the D.C. area plus a food truck, and his staff is 71% Hispanic.  Lest you think Andres is some fly-by-night chef just trying to strike a blow against Trump, this man is well-known and well-respected within the food community.  He owns restaurants in Washington DC, Beverly Hills, Las Vegas, South Beach, Dorado and Philadelphia. Andrés is chair of the advisory board for LA Kitchen, a social enterprise in Los Angeles, California that works to reduce food waste, provide job training, and increase access to nutritious food.  He has also received the following recognitions and awards:

• Best Chef of the Mid-Atlantic Region (James Beard Foundation, 2003)
• Chef of the Year (Bon Appetit, 2004)
• Saveur 100 List (Saveur, 2004)
• Men of the Year (GQ Magazine, 2009)
• Orden de las Artes y las Letras de España – Order of Arts and Letters (Cabinet of Spain, 2010)
• Vilcek Prize in Culinary Arts (2010)
• Outstanding Chef (James Beard Foundation, 2011)
• One of the world’s 100 most influential people (Time Magazine, 2012)

Andres, born in Mieres, Spain, earned his American citizenship in December 2013.

The second being sued by da trumpeter is chef Geoffrey Zakarian, of Food Network fame.  Zakarian is an Armenian-American, Iron Chef, restaurateur, television personality and author. He is the executive chef of several restaurants in New York City, Atlantic City and Miami.  He is featured on several television programs on the Food Network, including Chopped and in 2011, The Next Iron Chef, where he won the right to join Iron Chef America.

Zakarian, the chef and a partner at the Lambs Club and other Manhattan restaurants, was to open a branch of the National, his brasserie-style restaurant in Midtown, in the new hotel. But in 2015, he said in a written statement that “the recent statements surrounding Mexican immigrants by Donald Trump do not in any way align with my personal core values.”  I imagine this is tough for da trumpeter to understand, because it contains a word that is not in his vocabulary:  values.  Money is the only thing Mr. Trump values.

Now, for the interesting part.  The judge in the Trump vs Andres case is D.C. Superior Court Judge Jennifer Di Toro, appointed to the Superior Court in 2011 by President Obama.  I wonder if Trump will try to get the judge to recuse herself, as he did U.S. District Court Judge Gonzalo Curiel?  Although Judge Di Toro is of Italian, not Hispanic ancestry, there is no doubt in my mind that da trumpeter will hold that against her if it appears likely that she will rule in favour of Andres.  After all, we did fight the Italians in World War II.  Or perhaps he will ask her to step down based on the fact that she is a member of the LGBT community.  Not only that, but she is a woman … GASP … that is 3 strikes against her right there!  The judge in Zakarian’s case is District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Brian Holeman.  I know very little about Judge Holeman, but I am encouraged that he ordered Trump to testify in the case.

So, apparently Mr. Trump, in addition to all his other time-consuming activities, such as running businesses, dealing with his Trump University lawsuit, dealing with these two lawsuits, and running a political campaign, if one calls it that, will also be seeking other restauranteurs to take up residence in his new hotel.  It seems like a real bargain, with rent starting at only $28,750 per month.  Trump International Hotel is scheduled to open in September, and given the current events, I will not be surprised if either the opening is delayed or it opens with no restaurants.  Interesting how one’s words can sometimes come back to haunt them, isn’t it?  My hats off to both Mr. Andres and Mr. Zakarian for having the courage to follow their convictions and for having values.

Trump apparently likes lawsuits.  He has been involved in some 3,500 over the past few decades, has become either the plaintiff or defendant in 70 just since he announced his intent to run for president last June, and still has at least 50 older suits still pending.  I have said before that the man has very thin skin and cannot accept criticism … any criticism!  I keep trying to find a way to make my blog or my OpEds in other publications come to his attention so he can sue me!  I will laugh my fool head of because a) I am doing nothing more than exerting my 1^st Amendment rights, and b) as my late husband always said, “you can’t get blood out of a turnip”!  Bring it on, li’l Donnie … bring it on!