Report: Trump’s Lawyers Say ‘Wild’ Campaign Comments Help Boost Business

As presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump faces backlash from both Republicans and Democrats over his statements about Judge Gonzalo Curiel, a new report reveals Trump’s “wild” comments throughout the election cycle have helped to boost his hotel business.

Last week Trump said Curiel, who is handling a fraud case against Trump University, is biased against him and has “an absolute conflict” of interest due to Curiel being “of Mexican heritage.” Trump says the issue arises because of his stance on illegal immigration and his plans to build a wall along the southern border with Mexico.

Since Trump’s allegation about Curiel, pundits, Republicans, and Democrats have been blasting him in the media, once again making the real estate mogul dominate the news cycle.

But CNN reports Trump’s lawyers are arguing that the billionaire’s controversial comments during the election cycle have actually helped his hotel and restaurant businesses.

Celebrity Chef Jose Andres deserted plans for restaurants with the real estate mogul following Trump’s statements about illegal immigration and crime last summer during his presidential announcement speech. Trump is suing him for canceling the plans, but Andres is countersuing, arguing that Trump’s comments would drive business down by roughly 12 percent.

But Trump’s lawyers are citing an analysis by Roger Cline, an industry expert, which suggests Trump’s statements have helped business.

Trump lawyers wrote in the court filing:

The affidavit explains, among other things, that data from the pre- and post-political statements time period gleaned from STR Global-generated ‘STAR Reports’ show that five of the six Trump-branded hotels in the United States continue to perform well as compared with competitor hotels, and data from the signature restaurants in each of these hotels are performing better in the timeframe after the political statements than they were in the timeframe before the political statements.

However, Cline’s conclusion isn’t included in the court filing.