Draining the Swamp?
The Trump method of restoring credibility in Washington, D.C.
By Bennett Stillerman
The Progressive Teen Staff Writer
HARDLY A DOMESTIC PHENOMENON, Mr. Donald J. Trump has emblazoned his likeness of a wide variety of companies, buildings, and other potential money-making assets he could get his hands on. The Trump brand is nearly inescapable. Even the Philippines, over 8000 miles from Washington D.C, will carry a little bit of Trump memorabilia in the form of a skyscraper. Mr. Trump owns a long list of real estate property around the world. His foreign interests are deep, and the 500 companies that he filed with the FEC depend on this.
So, how then, can the public be assured that Trump acts out of interest in the American people, and not his pocketbook?
In the case of both the Clintons and the Bushes, both utilized a “blind trust” to minimize any potential conflict of interest that would arise from the placement of assets around the globe. This involves liquidating all foreign assets outside of domestic essentials, and funneling them into trusts. Then, the portfolios were completely hidden to the politicians, who had no way of knowing where their money was being invested.
In the case of both the Clintons and the Bushes, both utilized a “blind trust” to minimize any potential conflict of interest that would arise from the placement of assets around the globe.
In contrast, Trump has devised his own solution. This “solution” involves putting his children in charge of the company. This way, he will have no direct control over the money and can therefore act in an unbiased manner.
This, however, really does not solve for anything. With his children in charge, it is especially difficult for him to claim a divorce between business and politics. He will still know where all of his assets are located, and will be very aware of that fact when dealing with foreign nationals. He will know how geopolitical developments will affect his business. He has done nothing to change that.
For those who remain unconvinced that this is, in fact, a big deal, consider the following scenario: due to political developments, the US is now under much pressure to place economic sanctions on the country of Argentina. It is worth noting that 3 days after the election, developers in Buenos Aires announced that they were moving forward with the project to put a new Trump Tower on the ground.
Don’t forget that, because Trump certainly won’t.
Given the economic interests to both himself and his family in Argentina, it is completely rational to be skeptical that Trump will possess the objectivity necessary to make a rational decision on foreign policy.
This is also coming from a President-elect whose campaign talked at length about Clinton international corruption. If you remember the Clinton Foundation, you’ll also most likely remember the many charges from Trump that the Foundation is a cesspool of corruption due to its acceptance of foreign money. Gee — doesn’t that sound a lot like Trump refusing to let go of his foreign assets?
If you remember the Clinton Foundation, you’ll also most likely remember the many charges from Trump that the Foundation is a cesspool of corruption due to its acceptance of foreign money.
The issues with this do not stop at sanctions, they even extend to simple meetings with foreign diplomats. Following his electoral victory, many of these diplomats gathered in DC to congratulate the future President, and hope to establish good relations for the coming term.
What better place to stay than in the Trump Hotel in Washington DC?
Diplomats are on record claiming that the Trump Hotel is simply the place to be seen. It would look quite disrespectful to sit down for a meeting with the President, and if asked, have to notify him that you are staying at a competitor hotel.
To some, this is a benign aspect of Trump’s business holdings. To others, including me, this looks an awful lot like bribery. If the favor of Trump can be swayed by what hotel you choose to stay at, and whose hand you choose to put money into, it is a safe bet to say that Trump’s interests do not have a rational basis outside acquiring more of the Almighty Dollar.
The cards have already begun to fall, and the State Department already has a foreign policy crisis on its hands due to his foreign interests. Representatives from the Trump Organization have been to Taiwan to plan construction of a series of luxury hotels and resorts in the northwest Taiwanese city of Taoyuan. This is not any different than the previous examples if taken at face value. However, it’s far worse. On December 2nd, Trump’s transition team confirmed that he fielded a call from Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, who offered her congratulations on his victory. During the discussion, they reportedly noted close economic and political ties and hoped for strengthening bilateral relations in the years to come. This call is preceded by phone calls made to Taiwan by the Trump Organization over the hotel construction project.
This is the first time that a US President has had a publicly reported call with the leader of Taiwan since 1979, when Washington began official diplomatic relations with Beijing. Not to mention the ensuing tweets where he brags that the Taiwanese president “CALLED ME” (the call was planned ahead of time). Trump managed to break a diplomatic precedent in less than a month since being elected, and before he even assumed the office of the Presidency.
So, because of Trump’s insistence on a global real estate empire, coupled with his complete ignorance of geopolitical relations and an inability to shut his mouth, US foreign relations with China have already been thrown into a tailspin — because of one telephone call. Trump does not realize the game he has been elected to play and the stakes at hand.
His recent Asian Hotel exploits, particularly in the Philippines, have led to several friendly conversations with Rodrigo Duterte, the President who told Obama to “go to hell” and referred to him as a “son of a whore.” Duterte claims to have built a rapport with the President-elect, presumably over personal business opportunities with the Trump Organization. These conversations were supposedly arranged by a core group of Trump’s business advisers for the region, including his children.
It’s time to step away from the bank account, Mr. President.
Not only impractical, there are also potential constitutional issues. “The Emoulments Clause,” a vague section of the Constitution, makes it illegal for any person holding “an office of profit or trust” to accept any compensation, currency or otherwise, from foreign governments for duties performed while in that office. This was an issue before when President Obama wanted to know if he could accept a Nobel Peace Prize. Ultimately, while this was a contentious issue, the consensus was that he can accept it — because the committee issuing the prize is distinctly independent from the U.S. Government. However, if the 2 were not independent, it is an entirely different ballgame. Foreign governments making payments directly to a sitting-President is a violation of this clause. David Barron, a Justice Department Official, also notes that companies directly controlled by foreign governments fall under the category of a foreign state.
Now, with that in mind, all of Trump’s business dealings become even more suspect. This is no longer simply a question of ethics — this is a question of legality as well. Based on the Emoulments Clause, it cannot be considered constitutional for Trump to possess his foreign assets. Virtually all of these involve payments from governments, or government-owned corporations, directly to his bank accounts. This is a definitive conflict of interest, and there is no way of knowing just how much this might affect his foreign policy decisions. I’d rather deal with these issues now before we discover in the Situation Room just how “unbiased” Mr. Trump really is.
