The New Republic’s Alexander Nazaryan recently visited former President Donald Trump’s Trump Ocean Resort Baja Mexico and found it far from impressive. Nazaryan described the resort, once hailed by Ivanka Trump as “a world-class resort befitting of the Trump brand,” as little more than a “huge, muddy hole.”
Nazaryan argued that the condo resort couldn’t even be considered “one of the more luxurious hideaways in the vicinity of the Punta Bandera wastewater treatment plant.” While he acknowledged the resort’s location offered “glorious views of the Pacific,” he noted that there were “no bungalows or hotel rooms or even beach chairs from which those views could be enjoyed.” Instead, he observed, “There was a chain-link fence, an empty guard booth, and nothing else.”
Nazaryan’s disappointment extended beyond the physical state of the resort, as he used the Baja project to symbolize much of Trump’s business and political legacy. “Trump Baja is a classic Trumpian swindle: grandiose promises that shatter like cheap glass against the hard, unyielding edges of reality,” he contended. “For a man who became famous for his forays into the brick-and-mortar business of real estate, Trump has thrived and survived by jumping from one lily pad of fantasy to another, saved at critical moments during his career by bankruptcies and loans, not to mention ordinary Americans willing to hand him their money and their trust.”
Backing up Nazaryan’s assessment was Barbara Res, a former high-level Trump Organization official, who provided a scathing critique of her former boss. “When I worked with Trump, he was a P.T. Barnum,” she explained. “Trump is a fraud. He is a cheat. He is a thief. He is a criminal.”
Nazaryan’s visit to the Trump Baja Resort painted a stark picture of broken promises and unmet expectations. His description highlighted the disparity between the luxurious image marketed to potential buyers and the stark reality of the abandoned development. The project’s failure serves as a reminder of Trump’s contentious business practices, characterized by ambitious ventures that often fell short of their lofty promises.
As Nazaryan’s report illustrates, the Trump Baja Resort stands as a testament to what he describes as “a classic Trumpian swindle,” reflecting a broader pattern in Trump’s career where reality often fails to meet the grandiose claims made to investors and the public. The observations from both Nazaryan and Res add to the ongoing discourse about Trump’s legacy in both the business and political arenas.