The capitol Hill club, in Washington, dc, is a venerable gathering spot for the city’s Republican elite. It is minutes from the offices of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Its Eisenhower Lounge boasts no fewer than 458 elephant statues; its ornate lobby features portraits of Ronald Reagan, both George Bushes and a younger Donald Trump. A grizzled shoe-shiner says that he has polished the shoes of all of those presidents bar the last. He also notes a recent change in the club’s clientele: Washington’s power-brokers, with “fancy loafers”, are back in force.