UPDATE: a comment below might explain something I assumed you all know: “There are two emoluments clauses in the Constitution in Article II, Section 1. One covers foreign emoluments, which were of great concern to the Founders. Washington made a point of emphasizing the threat of foreign influence on the government in his Farewell Address. The second emoluments clause forbids the President to receive any compensation other than his Congressionally set salary, and forbids the federal government or any state from giving the President any other emolument. As Trump did not divest himself of his businesses and remains the sole beneficiary of those businesses, it would seem that foreign governments, the federal government and state governments spending money at Trump properties would indeed benefit Trump and constitute emoluments.”
- Missourilefty
On an absolute level I don’t think Trump probably has outdone W-Cheney-Rumsfeld at ripping off federal fund. Trillions of war profits is a lot to catch up to. The notion that Halliburton could get no-bid contracts when their previous CEO was now Vice President was pinned on, “well it was objectively the best choice”… the same as Trumps argument about why the Doral just has to be the location for the next G7… it’s just objectively the only place you could have it!
But it has to stop. And Trump’s self dealing is so obvious, so blatant, if you can’t even try to stop that… democracy is over. He’s just literally spending federal money into his own businesses. That’s illegal. It’s as illegal as it gets… it’s in the constitution.
How is this not that big of a deal to our leaders, to the nation, to all of you? Well, sadly, it’s probably because it’s part of our system now, and the law doesn’t matter, they don’t want a crack down, because everyone get’s hit if they do. Why else? I can’t think of any other reason to ignore something as OBVIOUS as self-dealing and bribery.
Letting Trump get away with this can’t possibly help me in any way, a democrat being allowed to get away with it also would not help me in any conceivable way. This precedent increases the likelihood that neither party will be able to put someone good in office… not in the long run, because the potential to profit from being POTUS is huge! It’s MIND BOGGLINGLY HUGE. Even the leaders of tiny, poor, countries become billionaires if they are allowed to use their governments for pure personal profit without restriction! If that’s unchecked, even now, when it’s obvious, when there is not even an attempt at a rationalizing excuse, just a “yeah, so what?”... what else could be more important?
It’s a very large ATM. Unless using it that way lands you in jail, that’s the only way the Presidency will ever be used again.