Trump Hotel raised prices to deter QAnon conspiracists from booking rooms, leaked police files reveal

The Trump Hotel in Washington raised its room rates “as a security tactic” to prevent QAnon supporters from staying there in early March, when some conspiracy theorists believed Donald Trump would return as president, according to leaked police intelligence documents.

The information came from a February briefing from Washington DC’s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) that was obtained and published online by ransomware hackers from the Babuk group earlier this month.

Police were reportedly alerted to the price hike for 3-4 March by media reports in early February and reached out to the hotel’s management to question the increase.

Some followers of the QAnon conspiracy theory believed Mr Trump would be sworn in again as president on 4 March due to a false belief that all legal and constitutional changes since 1871 are illegitimate.

Prior to the passage of the 20th Amendment in 1933, the inauguration date for the US president was 4 March - prompting conspiracy theorists to believe that this was the date Mr Trump would return to power after leaving the White House in January.

“On February 8, 2021, Business Insider magazine posted an online article indicating that Trump Hotel is raising their hotel rates for March 3-4, 2021 - the day QAnon followers think former President Trump will be sworn in again,” the leaked document said.

“MPD’s Intelligence Division confirmed with Trump Hotel management that they raised their rates as a security tactic to prevent protesters from booking rooms at their hotel should anyone travel to DC.

“However, they are not aware of any credible information regarding an event actually taking place on that date.”

The price hike was originally reported on 6 February by Forbes - which said the Trump International Hotel Washington DC had raised its rate 180 per cent above the normal charge for that time of year.

Prices for a “deluxe king” room would normally have run between from $476 to $596 per night, but were instead selling for $1,331 per night for 3-4 March this year, Forbes reported.

At the time, the news outlet suggested that the increase could be “price gouging” or “opportunistic marketing” by the hotel.

No major incident occured in Washington on those dates, despite concerns among US intelligence officials over online discussions about plans to storm the US Capitol on or around 4 March.

Melissa Smislova, the acting Department of Homeland Security intelligence chief, told senators on 3 March that officials had issued a warning about “extremists discussing” violence on 4 March and 6 March.

It was understood that some QAnon followers supported a conspiracy theory that claimed the US turned from a country into a corporation following the passage of the District of Columbia Organic Act of 1871 - making all legal changes since that date illegitimate.

The theory is based on an incorrect interpretation of the act, which only established the District of Columbia as a municipal corporation (also know as a local governing body).