Four Seasons Total Landscaping: Inside the Giuliani Press Conference Mix-Up

Giuliani Held a Press Conference Between a Sex Shop and a Crematorium

Posted 4 hours ago·Updated 1 hour ago

On the morning of Saturday, November 7, 2020, Donald Trump tweeted that his lawyers would hold a press conference at "Four Seasons, Philadelphia." The tweet was deleted within minutes. A correction landed soon after: "Four Seasons Total Landscaping."

Not That Four Seasons

The Four Seasons Hotel sits in Center City Philadelphia, on a tower above the Comcast Technology Center. Four Seasons Total Landscaping sits at 7347 State Road, in the Holmesburg neighborhood of northeast Philadelphia, in a strip of pavement two doors down from Fantasy Island Adult Books, across the street from Delaware Valley Cremation Center, and two blocks from a state prison. Reporters, expecting a chandelier and a podium, arrived at a garage door and a parking lot.

The Timing

The Associated Press called Pennsylvania for Joe Biden at 11:25 a.m. EST. With Pennsylvania, Biden cleared 270 electoral votes, and the AP called the presidency in the same minute. Giuliani, joined by Bernard Kerik and Corey Lewandowski, stepped up to the microphones outside the landscaping company at roughly 11:30 a.m. He delivered the opening statement.

A reporter interrupted to inform him the networks had called the race. Giuliani replied:

"Networks don't get to decide elections. Courts do."

He then asked, "Who was it called by?" and was told, "All the networks."

The Receipt

The full 37-minute press conference is on Rev.com as a public transcript. Giuliani opened with the line, "I'm here on behalf of the Trump Campaign, as an attorney for the President, to describe to you the first part of a situation that is extremely troubling." He then introduced poll-watcher witnesses. The first witness Giuliani called to the microphone, Daryl Brooks, was a registered sex offender; Giuliani later said he was unaware of Brooks's record.

What Four Seasons Did Next

The landscaping company, owned by the Siravo family, leaned all the way into it. They printed shirts reading "Lawn and Order" and "Make America Rake Again," sold roughly 30,000 of them in three weeks, and by the time the dust settled had taken in around $1.3 million in merchandise revenue. The parking lot is now a roadside tourist site, listed on RoadsideAmerica.com, and a Berlin artist built a lit-up diorama of the block, signage and all.

The official explanation from the campaign was that the booking was a "garbled game of telephone." The company itself has said it was simply asked if it could host a press event that morning, said yes, and learned who was coming with everyone else.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where exactly was the Four Seasons Total Landscaping press conference held?

At 7347 State Road in the Holmesburg neighborhood of northeast Philadelphia, in the parking lot of Four Seasons Total Landscaping. The site is two doors from Fantasy Island Adult Books, across the street from Delaware Valley Cremation Center, and two blocks from a state prison.

Did the Associated Press really call the election during the press conference?

Effectively yes. The AP called Pennsylvania, and the presidency, for Joe Biden at 11:25 a.m. EST on November 7, 2020. Giuliani began speaking outside Four Seasons Total Landscaping at roughly 11:30 a.m. A reporter informed him on camera that the networks had called the race; Giuliani replied that networks do not decide elections, courts do.

Who else spoke at the Four Seasons Total Landscaping press conference?

Rudy Giuliani led the conference. He was joined by Bernard Kerik, former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, and several poll-watcher witnesses. The first witness Giuliani called, Daryl Brooks, turned out to be a registered sex offender; Giuliani later said he had not known.

How did Four Seasons Total Landscaping end up booked instead of the Four Seasons Hotel?

The Trump campaign initially announced a press conference at the Four Seasons in Philadelphia. That tweet was deleted and replaced with one specifying Four Seasons Total Landscaping. The campaign described the mix-up as a garbled game of telephone; the landscaping company has said it was asked if it could host a press conference that morning, said yes, and only learned the participants when they arrived.

How much money did Four Seasons Total Landscaping make from the merchandise?

Roughly $1.3 million. They sold about 30,000 shirts in three weeks, with slogans including Lawn and Order and Make America Rake Again. The parking lot is now listed on RoadsideAmerica.com as an offbeat tourist attraction.

Verified Fact

Sources: Wikipedia (Four_Seasons_Total_Landscaping_press_conference); Rev.com full transcript of Giuliani 11/7/20 Philadelphia press conference; AP/Inquirer ("Joe Biden won Pennsylvania. Here's why AP called it.") confirming AP called PA and the presidency at 11:25 a.m. EST on 11/7/20; NPR ("From Obscure To Sold Out", 11/11/20); RoadsideAmerica.com listing for the address (7347 State Rd) and adjacent businesses; Billy Penn (Berlin diorama). Confirmed: date, address, adjacent businesses (Fantasy Island Adult Books, Delaware Valley Cremation Center), participants (Giuliani, Kerik, Lewandowski), Daryl Brooks witness/sex-offender detail, AP timing relative to conference start (~5 min before), Giuliani "Networks don't get to decide elections. Courts do." quote, ~30,000 shirts in 3 weeks / ~$1.3M merch revenue. Trimmed: did not assert specific reason the campaign got the venue wrong beyond what the campaign and company said publicly. Did not assert that Trump personally booked it. YouTube embed (7QTRO9MG6z8) verified live via oembed liveness check.

Wikipedia (with primary AP, Rev.com transcript, NPR sourcing)