Has Donald Trump Permanently Ruined His Financial Future?

It's been months since the Trump Organization first came under fire for alleged nefarious business dealings — ones that are still, as of this writing, the subject of lengthy criminal investigations in New York. And now it appears that legal recourse might not be the only method for it its downfall. Although the Trump family's real estate empire has long been suspected of harnessing not-so-legal means to bring in the big bucks (like alleged fraud or tax evasion), a recent report suggests the organization's front is facing trouble from another source: its clientele pool.

According to an investigative piece published by Reuters on October 29, financial records obtained by the news outlet indicated a careening downtick in revenue for the Trump Organization, a descent that grew steeper following the Capitol Hill insurrection on January 6. But how does that connect to the Trump Organization's clients? And what does the Trump org have to say about all of this?

According to Reuters, the primary source of the Trump Organization's reported financial decline is none other than former president and one-time property magnate Donald Trump. More specifically, it's strongly linked to Trump's divisive politics (and false allegations of election fraud). Per Reuters, examples from obtained financial disclosures ranged from his Trump Las Vegas property falling from a $22.9 million revenue stream to a mere $9.2 million in late 2020 and early 2021 to losing buyers for his hotel in Washington, D.C. The reason? Simply put, some clients appear to believe associating with Trump can be bad for business.

Reuters noted that the issue of Trump's political career concerning his business interests has been at odds long before 2020. However, one consultant who worked with the Trump Organization stated in a 2017 video recording obtained by Reuters that "it's not actually about the property, it is about the brand," and that a swift sea change occurred in the last few months of the Trump administration. Per Reuters, high-profile organizations like the Girl Scouts of America purportedly began the process of dissolving their leases for their New York City offices following the Capitol Hill riot.

Despite Reuter's report, Trump's son Eric Trump, who still works for his family's corporation, denied that the corporation was or is dealing with a financial crisis. "We're sitting on a tremendous amount of cash," he told the outlet. Still, it remains to be seen how all of this will impact Trump's financial future in the long run.