National

Trump’s Sons Will Take Over the Business So Dad Can Pretend He’s Not Presidenting for Profit


NEW YORK–(ENEWSPF)–December 13, 2016

By Laura Clawson

Donald Trumps son's  Eric Trump (L), and Donald Trump Jr. wait for the start of the CNBC Republican Presidential Debate, October 28, 2015 at the Coors Event Center at the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colorado. AFP PHOTO / ROBYN BECK        (Photo cr

Donald Trump had planned to have a press conference on Thursday to announce how he was going to create the impression of having eliminated conflicts of interest between his business and the presidency. Instead, he tweeted three times late Monday night—twice about his business and once saying he’d hold a press conference “in the near future,” a claim we totally believe, except not at all. So! How is Trump trying to make it look like he’s not profiting from the presidency without doing anything crazy like not profiting from the presidency? Drum roll …

“Even though I am not mandated by law to do so,” he says, whinily, he will leave his businesses.

Does anyone believe Don and Eric aren’t going to be discussing the business with dear old daddy? Seriously? And as for the “no new deals” clause:

His promise to make “no new deals” could cut down on the wooing of foreign businesses and governments, but existing projects in countriesincluding Brazil, India and the Philippines have already enmeshed Mr. Trump in intricate economic negotiations.

For that matter, deals to build buildings or golf courses aren’t the only possible problem:

After all, there’s nothing to stop a foreign government from holding a lavish party at the DC Trump hotel — which has already happened after Trump’s presidential win.

Holding a lavish party, or making sure all visiting diplomats and officials stay there. Or buying memberships at Mar-a-Lago. Or sending a lot of diplomats golfing at Trump’s golf courses, for heaven’s sake. Foreign governments can curry favor with Trump by spending money at basically any of his properties, and if they’re worried he won’t know about it, they can always open a conversation by praising his hotel/golf course/defunct steak brand. It’s not just the profit, either. The man’s ego requires being told constantly how amazing he is, and if it’s officials from foreign governments telling him how his amazingness is the reason they stayed at his hotel, well, don’t think that won’t register on him.

No, having the business run by his children who can report back to him regularly and not doing any new deals is not going to eliminate more than a tiny fraction of the possible ways Trump could get—will get—profit and payoffs out of the presidency. Just one more way this is not normal.

Source: http://dailykos.com


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