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(courtesy Twitter)ThinkProgress has published an investigative report entitled Donald Trump Thinks You Should Be Able To Bring Guns Anywhere, Except His Own Hotels. ThinkProgress reporters called a number of Trump properties and asked if they allow guns on the premises. The three they list as “gun-free zones” are all in Democrat-controlled bastions with histories of extremely restrictive gun laws: Chicago, Hawaii and Los Angeles . . .

ThinkProgress spoke with a number of hotels and golf courses in the Trump empire and found that multiple locations were gun-free zones, even for guests with concealed-carry permits.

“No, we don’t allow any firearms in the hotel,” a manager at Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago told ThinkProgress over the phone.

Guns are also banned at Trump National Golf Club in Los Angeles. An employee at the course told ThinkProgress that “we don’t allow firearms on the property.” Asked whether that ban applies even to those with a concealed-carry permit, he said that “with a permit we still don’t allow firearms.”

The ThinkProgress article did not have any pictures of gun ban signs on the properties; we only have the words of the people who they talked to over the phone about the polices. They may be correct, but lower level employees are often mistaken about corporate policies. How would a guest at a Trump property know that they are not allowed to have a gun, if there are no signs or policy posted?

I spoke to the security department at the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago. He confirmed that the hotel has a “gun with a slash through it” sign at the main entrance. The sign bans Illinois concealed carry firearms permit holders from the premises. However . . .

My source said Trump Towers Chicago doesn’t search guests’ luggage. While you are staying at the hotel, your room is considered your residence. As long as you handled your firearms legally while in your room, the hotel policy did not apply. Laws concerning the shipping and transportation of firearms were the responsibility of the individual guest.

The Trump National Golf Club in Los Angeles didn’t have a knowledgeable person available for comment. The staff person at the Trump International Hotel Waikiki Beach Walk said they couldn’t definitively answer my question. They were certain, however, that there is no “gun free zone” or “no guns” sign at the hotel entrance.

Donald Trump (courtesy npr.org)

The likely outcome of the ThinkProgress complaint about Trump: he will have his minions remove gun free zones signs from properties he controls, but keep the policy in place for customers and employees. On the DL. [NB: Properties and management contracts can be complex; it’s not certain that a property with “Trump” in its name is under the control of Donald Trump the presidential candidate.]

Not surprisingly – given that The Donald is one of the few New York City residents rich and powerful enough to obtain a concealed carry permit in The City That Never Sleeps – Manhattan’s Trump Tower does not ban concealed carry firearms for city residents with NYC permits. [NB: New York City does not recognize any other state’s concealed carry permit, nor New York State permits.]

©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.

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81 COMMENTS

    • He did have a hotel property in Florida at one time. I not sure if he still owns it.

    • There was a Trump hotel in Vegas the last time I was there.
      LV and NV are free enough that I carried concealed for the entire trip, with an out of state permit.

  1. A wealthy business magnate lying for public favor. Gee, who’d imagine that?

    I’ll wager every box of ammo in my safe that every single Trump employee is banned from bringing firearms into his offices on pain of immediate termination.

    Ditto the customers to his hotels, casinos, etc.

  2. List of locations with Trump hotels:

    New York City
    Chicago
    Las Vegas
    Waikiki
    Toronto
    Panama
    Miami
    Doonbeg, Ireland
    Washington DC
    Vancouver
    Rio de Janeiro
    Baku, Azerbaijan

    Good luck carrying a firearm in any of those places, as far as I know. Chicago is probably the most firearms carry-friendly, which should tell you something.

    • In Chicago you can carry on private property if you have an Illinois Concealed Carry License. Illinois doesn’t honor any other states’ carry licenses, and for a non-Illinois resident to get an Illinois CCL is an expensive, time-consuming, near impossible venture (good luck finding a 16-hour class offered by an Illinois approved instructor outside the state).

      The bottom line: Out of state tourists staying in a Chicago hotel won’t be allowed to carry there, regardless of hotel policy.

    • Vegas is MUCH more gun friendly than Chicago.

      That said, individual casinos have their own policies. Some have metal detectors at certain points (such as the Stratosphere tower elevators).

    • I had a gun permit while I lived in Panama. They are much easier to obtain there than they are in New York City, Hawaii, or California. Panama has no problem issuing permits to non-citizens with permanent visas, which, for Americans with a means of support, are fairly easy to obtain.

    • Nom that would be Las Vegas and Miami, both Nevada and Florida have much freer gun laws than Illinois.

    • You’d be wrong. Panama has much better gun laws than Chicago.

      Though you would have to be a resident to take advantage of them.

      Best gun laws outside the US: Czech Republic, Panama, Dominican Republic.

      Feel free to correct me, or add to my “good enough to consider moving to” list.

      • DR has reasonable concealed carry laws (but no open carry, though that is usually not enforced), but obtaining a gun to carry is another matter. They have a ban on importation of many firearms (and, in particular, handguns), and as a result you have artificially constrained supply and skyrocketing prices. Kinda like NFA items in US, except it hasn’t been in place for quite as long as there were more items to begin with, so the prices aren’t quite as high… but still, we’re talking about $4-5k for a used Glock 17.

        Also, they’ve been trying to tighten the laws in the past few years. Not sure what the current status is, but overall I’d say chances are good it’s going to be worse in the foreseeable future.

    • You left off the Trump Hotel & Casino on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. National laws in The Grand Bahamas may apply differently there.

      • The Bahamas became a British Crown colony in 1718, and an independent Commonwealth realm in 1973, retaining Queen Elizabeth II as its monarch. USA law does not apply there.

  3. I don’t care what the policy is, just take down the signs so I’m not committing a misdemeanor going into the place. Also the more places that take down the signs, the more the remaining look like scarlet letters.

  4. We heard this…We couldn’t confirm… We talked to lower level people that don’t know…

    I don’t believe Trump to be reliable on the Second Amendment but this article said nothing reliable. What next? My Great Aunt Bertha heard that somebody said that possibly!!!?

    • The author contacted as many company personnel as possible, that is how reporting generally works. I am sure if some PR flak or Trump himself wanted to clarify they would be welcome to.

      • They said they talked to low level personnel that may not have accurate information or they were not able to talk to anyone knowledgeable. The one security person said the did not search the customers which says to me that as long as you don’t flash the gun around they don’t care. Also they state that they have no idea if Trump has any say in this policy with any specific hotels.

        There is information out there about how Trump thinks on the gun issue. I don’t trust Trump on this issue but I come here for the truth, about guns. If they change the name to “Innuendo About Guns” then I have no problem with this article.

    • Donald Trump has no moral character , in my opinion , and should never be permitted into a office that requires real moral integrity and strong convictions that stand the test of time . I don’t want someone who was just born again , albeit that is a great experience and I pray for their success . I want someone who was born again 30 years ago and is stronger in their faith today than they were at that first awakening . I know all to well the battle that takes place between the forces of evil and the Spirit of God after one has chosen the path of Christ .It takes many years to grow into a fire tested cross carrier and in a world being overwhelmed by evil , we need a tested Christian that believes in the inspiration of our constitution and associated founding documents . I think Allen West would make a great president but I’ll take Ted Crews , we need to reign in the Executive branch , beef up the congressional branch , limit the terms of career politicians , particularly in the Senate , and return power back to the states and we need to bring back the Bible to our schools .
      This is all politically incorrect today which means it’s all correct .

      • Na we dont need a cross carrying christian. Religion has caused the most problens to mankind than anyyhibg else. God said them darkies is to dark, hang him, god said the two men shall not lay together kill him, god said women cant show there faces stone them if they do. Do I need to keep going or does this prove religion is a scourge on humanity.

        • I’m not a true believer. Never had much faith. But religion isn’t a scourge on humanity.

          Humanity is the scourge on humanity.

        • Christians feed the poor , care for the sick , adopt the orphans , house the homeless , build wells for the waterless , comfort the dyeing , help the widows , build hospitals , create library’s and universities , spilled their blood fighting against evil , freed the slaves , wrote the constitution , established the bill of rights , and on and on and on , should I keep going .
          If you throw up the Crusades you’ll only deepen your display of your total lack of real knowledge of history .
          You would not have had the crusades without Islam and the evil that it unleashed upon mankind .

        • Like JWM said, it’s a human thing.

          People use religion as an excuse to grab power, discriminate against other groups, etc., even if it’s contrary to the actual scripture of the faith they claim to adhere to. It’s like guns. The user is the issue, not the gun itself.

        • The “Blame Religion for what People do as an excuse for hating certain People” is a dangerous (but rather transparent) deception created by, wait for it … people.

        • >> If you throw up the Crusades you’ll only deepen your display of your total lack of real knowledge of history . You would not have had the crusades without Islam and the evil that it unleashed upon mankind .

          As if Christians only ever waged religious wars against Muslims.

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendish_Crusade
          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Livonian_Crusade
          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prussian_Crusade
          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albigensian_Crusade

          So, what were you saying about “total lack of real knowledge of history”, again?

        • I did a medical / dental Christian missions trip to Guatemala with Time and Talents for children in 2010 that served over 500 patients in a week. I did another Christian Mission trip in Morocco and picked up garbage. I’ve done numerous local trips to do landscaping, paint schools, and feed the homeless. I also provide volunteer security to those who serve the homeless.

          All Christian mission stuff. When folks bash Christianity I usually just shake my head, but if people want to back up their assertions with man hours and dollars donated, well, I’m prepared with those facts as well. I go to the First Evangelcal Free Church of Fullerton, and we do a lot for the community and the world.

          • While I’ve done mission work in Canada and the UK, most of my work has been in Mexico (Juarez, Piedras Negras, and several villages in the mountains in Oaxaca). As soon as my girls are old enough to travel there with me safely, I’ll be back.

        • ha ha You know the bible is made up right? Just like the koran torah and the cat in the hat. All made up books. Let it control your life though. Whats ur thoughts on christains who molest kids? Thats okay becauae they can ask jesus for forgiviness I forgot

      • int19h
        You are blinded by a predisposition against Christians and probably God .
        Please believe me . Religion is not Christian .
        The crusades originated to repel Muslims from the holy lands .
        I actually do know what I am talking about . I have studied the histories of Christianity for 38 years . I understand human nature and I know what happens when you give a man a sword and the authority to use . Same thing that happens when you give one a pen and then leave him to believe it …………… well anyway , I often learn from our discourse and appreciate your input . As always , God bless .

        • How exactly I am predisposed against Christians, by pointing out the fact that several religious Crusades that European Christians have waged against non-Christians, sometimes to the point of extinction (like Polabian Slavs or Old Prussians)? It seems that the Christians in question have done all the work to “predispose” me against them; wouldn’t you agree?

          Or are you claiming that e.g. Baltic Crusades were not religious in nature? Despite the fact that they were triggered by a Pope calling for a holy war against “heathens”, perpetrated by a military religious order, and referred to as Crusades by the participants?

        • As far as my take on Christianity in general. I’m personally an atheist, but I grew up in a Christian family, have read the Bible, and have spoken with priests. My conclusion is that virtually all people who claim to be Christian today actually aren’t, and the original Christianity as preached by Christ pretty much went extinct after Roman persecutions.

          The reason is that the true Christians were pacifist folk, behaving exactly as Christ taught them, and thus neither hiding their faith nor rising up to defend it with violence. Consequently, when these people were treated as enemies of the state, they were massacred by the thousands without offering any resistance.

          The Christians who survived that period were those who reinterpreted the message of the Gospel, away from its obvious literalist pacifism, “turn the other cheek” etc, and into a militant religion that does not shy away from violence to protect itself or spread. When they finally took control of the government of the Empire, in the times of Constantine and beyond, they utilized this newly created ideology to use state power to suppress their former persecutors, as well as any competing religions. It’s in that period that figures like John Chrysostom and St Augustine, with their elaborate philosophical justifications of the use of violence to suppress dissent and spread their faith, first appear, and they defined the direction for the church for centuries to come, until the present day. It’s that strain of thought that fueled Crusades, Inquisition etc. Today, it’s that strain of thought that leads many American Christians to adopt the “praise the Lord and pass the ammunition” mode of thinking.

          Given that this strain is also in obvious contradiction with the most straightforward and obvious reading of the actual teachings of Christ, and his own behavior, I don’t really consider it Christian in nature, but rather a distinct religion that adopted the publicized brand way back in the day, and used a lot of sophistry to patch over the contradictions. For good or bad, though, it is what became known as Christianity today.

          One day, I hope to meet a real Christian who takes “turn the other cheek” seriously, and accepts and implements it to its full extent – that would be an interesting person to talk to. Unfortunately, I have yet to meet one such. Many claim to profess that belief, but once you start talking to them, it turns out that they either have numerous exceptions (e.g. one guy told me that he’d turn the other cheek if I offended him, but would punch me in the face if I offended God), or else are perfectly willing to allow and enable to others to commit violence in the name of their cause on their behalf (like all the Christians who cheered the prosecution of Pussy Riot for blasphemy in Russia).

          • You may get a significant amount of reply to your comments but I no when to yield the floor . I am shaking the dust from my feet and moving on .
            I believe you may make a great warrior for Christ if you could somehow reopen your heart and revisit the greatest truth ever revealed , you seem to have all the foundation stones , they are just in array .
            Many of the martyr stories you refer to did not necessarily require the early Christians walking up to a Roman official and saying ,’ I am a Christian so kill me ‘. Most did everything they could to survive just as you or I would today but they were captured and ended up killed as a result of their faith . Many of these Martyrs were people who had walked with Jesus or witnesses his murder and subsequently witnessed Him being risen from the grave and ascending into heaven . It is with out a drought the single biggest reason they were willing to be tortured and killed without denouncing their faith . I find it difficult to imagine that people would be so willing to face these terrible persecutions without knowing the man they were dying for was a true prophet and the Son of God .
            I know there is nothing I can say here to change anything but please know that Christianity has not survived since Christ Jesus resurrection because of the bad things you have found within it’s ranks but because of the love , compassion , good will and honor that most Christians have brought to this world . We do turn the other cheek daily in our walk of faith and many would and or will give their lives as martyrs if we have to .
            Remember that thou shalt not kill means literally , thou shalt not murder and defending yourself or the defenseless is not murder .
            These are of coarse just my opinions and I certainly could be wrong . God bless .

        • I don’t know the answer to the why , probably a number of things led to your predisposition but the answer is yes , you seem very much unable to allow people the room for their faith . It’s a very common thing and can always be overcome but unfortunately it will require faith .
          I would never make apologies for what humanity has done in the name of another , whether it is Jesus Christ , Mohammed or Hitler , humans are by their nature sinful and capable of extreme atrocities . The Crusades were an original attempt to push back against Muslim hordes and what they developed into is a historical disgrace

        • Mark,
          My understanding is that historians cite a number of factors to explain the crusades (and different ones for different crusades too) – as there are different explanations for other conflicts.

          Using a ‘follow the money’ perspective, Pope Urban II wanted to extend and consolidate his authority. Crusaders were incentivized by Indulgences, by the promise of economic advancement – otherwise daunting in the feudal system of the middle ages, and by the orders of their liege masters. No doubt there are other perspectives too.

          As one who’s studied Christianity for many years, you’re aware that it wasn’t just about Muslims. Thousands of Jews were slaughtered during the crusades. Alliances between Christians and Muslims were struck too.

          When visiting these areas, I was surprised to see how Jews, Muslims, and Christians (in separate neighborhoods) historically seemed to pretty much peacefully co-exist. Duties that were forbidden by some, were handled by others. Example: Christians and Muslims had prohibitions against money lending that Jews did not; essential services could continue since each had different holy days.

          • GayGunOwner
            Thanks for the input , another interesting note about Christians converting to Islam , the word renegade was coined for this description .
            Barack Hussein Obama choose his secret service name from a list of hundreds . He choose Renegade . ( ? )

            • Mark,
              Thanks – learned something new. Input like yours is one of the reasons I enjoy this site. Lots of very informed people.

              BTW, I understand ‘slave’ is derived from slav. As int19 pointed out, slavs were conquered many times. Slavic people were enslaved so often that their ethnicity become synonymous with their status.

  5. Currently more concerned with those states that don’t recognize other states carry permits. Once we force reciprocity amongst all states then we can start nit picking local business policies and how to handle them

  6. Somehow I doubt that Thinkprogress is on Trump’s radar right now. It’s not exactly a go-to guide for Republican voters.

  7. If it doesn’t have a “No Guns” sign prominently posted at the entrance, then it’s not legally a gun-free zone. That’s how these laws work.

    • Regardless of legalities, it would be rather hypocritical for a guy to talk about his pro-gun creds while instituting anti-gun policies on his private properties.

  8. I’m glad you included that editor’s note that not every Trump branded property is necessarily Trump owned or operated.

    In fact, the Trump brand itself is a large portion of the Donald’s net worth, according to his financial disclosure forms, anyway.

  9. Trump is a business man. He may make whatever legal policy he likes. As president, he would be faced with upholding laws on the books that some how manage to slightly constrain the government. Real Estate Tycoon vs. President. Different venues. One does not preclude or predict the other.

    If local government (or federal) is not requiring gun free zones, do we really want private businesses to be restricted as to how they accommodate guests? Do we want a federal law that prohibits gun free zones?

    • If the state his businesses are in already prohibit carry do you think a local business would be able to say sure carry welcomed here. Bet the state would shut that down real quick

      In freer states it’s bs but then you vote with your wallet

  10. The whole article is a ridiculous hit piece, from the hotels which clearly have policy set by the local manager and not by Trump himself, to the jab at gun shows and their new pet self-defense study.

    and the commenters are even worse.

  11. “New York City does not recognize … New York State permits”

    is that right? how in the world did i not know this? i mustve read that here at least a dozen times, and probably just mentally conflated NYC with New York state or something.

    • The statement is correct — NY City does not honor NY State permits.

      Under a provision of New York State law called “home rule,” NY City has sovereign power over many (but not all) issues. As long as the NY City law is within the home rule authority and doesn’t violate the state constitution, the City is free to do what it wants. And it doesn’t want to honor NY State permits.

  12. I’m more concerned about “Gun Free Zones” in the public sphere than I am with private property.

  13. As Dean noted, the employees at Trump properties might not know what they’re talking about. For example, many if not most companies have a “no guns” policy in their employment agreements, as did my last employer in the retail sector. Of course, the policy had no effect on customers.

    It seemed incongruous to me that when I shopped in the store, I could carry, but when I worked in the store I could not. So I carried all the time. I took the job to have something fun to do, so if I was fired I really didn’t care. YMMV.

    I any case, store management had no idea that the policy did not apply to customers.

  14. And where were the 2A questions on Fox last night? Pathetic so-called “debate”(maybe I missed it-I kept watching the CUBS win)…I did catch chrispy creme tout his record on spying and screwing Americans…The Donald is the Donald-methinks he has little control over most of his properties. I know I have very little trust in him…

  15. I am not sure anyone can declare this a silver bullet for any final conclusion. I am not a Trump supporter yet, for I am waiting a while before I form any opinion. I do know that in his position, he probably knows very little about local policies at these properties. To him, they are probably just names on a ledger. From my experience, every lawyer seems to want to add “no guns” or whatever to the list of policies governing a property. I think they believe that somehow shields their client from liability. It usually doesn’t. Anyhow, I am sure that Trump has nothing to do with these local policies. I imagine he could override them if he is made aware of them.

  16. Trump is the Hillary Clinton Manchurian Candidate. He is a sleeper cell designed solely to increase her odds of winning. His comments last night, esp about her coming to his wedding (I lost count) and his often contradictory statements on the same subjects proves as much.

    • I agree with your analysis here . The left media is displaying their TELL by talking about him so much , covering every aspect of everything he says and does and creating his front runner status . The very fact that he says he will run as an independent is a TELL by Trump himself that he intends on disrupting the chances of anyone who would have a real chance to beat the Dems . If Trump would win the GOP nomination or run as an independent we will have a Democrat in the oval office after our heads stop spinning .

      • As a leftie, I have to say that I’m completely flabbergasted by how my conservative acquaintances are all over Trump. The guy is such a blatant troll that I can only shake my head. On any online forum, he would be treated as such within five minutes of opening his mouth.

        • I have obviously seen your left lean through your comments and I know you realize you are a bit out gunned on sites like TTAG but your comments are always considerate and welcome and I believe honest , qualities I admire . Thank you ! ……
          I always try to leave room between my ears for learning .

  17. Accur81, We gun enthusiasts often get conflated with psychopaths. Thanks for your compassion and service.

    • Thank you, sir. In the spirit of honesty, my compassion correlates almost entirely to the totality of the circumstances. Some folks are born into poverty through no fault of their own, and some bring consequences onto themselves. I tend to help the former and try to bring justice to the latter.

      • You friend , seem to always weave your words into a concise and eloquent foray into realm of logic , I try to always read your comments and appreciate greatly your bridges to commonsense . I concur , your few words speak volumes . Thank you .

  18. Mrs. DrVino works at the CA headquarters of a large, national bank. THE big man has his offices there.
    It’s in LA county. There are no signs.
    But an average TTAG reader will be able to spot all the security detail within seconds.
    BECAUSE THEIR GUNS ARE PRINTING.

  19. I look at Trump with a jaundiced eye. I have not decided who I am going to vote for yet, but it will not be a RINO.

  20. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…you can say what you want about Trump, but he is, along with his son Don jr are *very* pro gun.
    Obviously that’s up to you to truly decide but I’ve heard him talk about it long before presidential aspirations, he’s decried gun free zones for a long long time and believes everyone should carry or at least own a gun for protection.

  21. New York City DOES honor two concealed carry permits, the HR-218 LEOSA card and those issued by the City of New York. LEOSA permits are ONLY issued to active duty or retired police officers that re-qualify on the range at least once a year. The rest, not so much. The LEOSA permit is issued pursuant to Federal law.

    I hold the LEOSA permit, but I have no desire to visit NYC or ANY Trump properties.

  22. Why would a hotel in Waikiki Beach even bother to post a “no guns” sign? It would be like a Reykjavik hotel posting a “no koalas” sign.

    • There ARE guns in Hawaii, and if a LEOSA permit holder (only an active or retired Police officer can get those). The Hawaiian AG wants you to check in with the local police within 3 days when you visit their islands with your LEOSA permit and weapon. Getting a non-resident permit to carry may be difficult, and you’d have to check the reciprocity laws on Hawaii for non-LEOSA out of state CWP carry permits..

      Hawaii’s economy is based on tourism. They want to give tourists the feeling they are safe (a false sense of security). But as thinking persons know, you aren’t really safe anywhere, not even in your own home. Not unless you’re willing to admit that evil exists in the world, and you’re willing to defend yourself and your loved ones.

      I don’t quite understand your Koala in Iceland comparison. It falls apart when you realize there are legal and illegal guns in Hawaii and everywhere else.

      The No Gun/Gun Free Zone signs might was well be a sign saying that the “Sheepdog is off duty, come on in Wolves”.

    • Re “civilians” in Hawaii: not one single individual in the entire state has a CCW license (obviously no one can prove to the authority’s satisfaction that they are the required “exceptional case”, i.e. there are no “exceptional cases” in the entire state, and therefore Hawaii is de facto “no issue”.). Hawaii has CCW reciprocity agreements with ZERO states. Welcome to (progressive collectivist) paradise.

      • Puna, thanks – didn’t know. Is/ has there been litigation? I don’t call SAF’s Alan Gottlieb mentioning Hawaii at his recent talk.

      • Hawaii may not allow CWP issuance, or reciprocity — but don’t be foolish enough to believe that the criminals don’t have guns. If the criminals didn’t have guns, there might be little or no need for police!

        On duty, off duty, and qualified retired police officers can carry in Hawaii legally with proper ID and a minimum of a once a year qualification in front of a certified Firearms Instructor.. Federal Law, but the Hawaiian AG wants to know if you’re a visiting officer (active or retired) requiring a registration with the police department on the island(s) you visit. If you have your documents in order, it can take from thirty minutes to three hours. This requirement will likely eventually be struck down, but I’m not going to be the test case that forces the AG to knuckle under.

  23. mma
    Please release the demons within you that blind you to the realities that are all around you when it comes to a real historical man that actually fulfilled prophetic history to save humankind from original sin . Every day the world uncovers more evidence to prove the truths recorded by the chosen of God . Everyday more of the prophecies are being fulfilled and the sand in running out .

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