Donald Trump started spending money on his 2020 re-election effort on November 24, 2016—less than three weeks after the election. He officially launched his re-election effort on inauguration day. It’s a move that allows Trump to do two things: First, he can hold rallies at which he can voice over the top attacks, angry divisive rhetoric, and general nuttiness. Second, he can do this:
President. Candidate. Businessman. Three of President Donald Trump’s roles converge next week as he holds his first re-election fundraiser at his hotel in Washington.
Donald Trump is officially holding his first fundraiser of his re-election, at the hotel he operates in a federal-government-owned building. Next week.
In a comparison when things were still sane, Barack Obama announced that he planned to run for re-election on April 4, 2011. That was a year and half before the election. It was also nearly a month ahead of the usual date, and the early sign-on generated heated complaints from Republicans at the time.
To be fair, Barack Obama did fundraising in 2010—for the upcoming congressional elections. His fundraising for re-election was limited to just over a year before the 2012 race. The same schedule fit George Bush, who attended dozens of fundraisers in 2003, and Bill Clinton, who attended a smaller number of fundraisers in 1995 for the 1996 election.
But spending 25 percent of his time in the White House regularly ignoring his day job and shoveling in donations isn’t enough for Trump. He started before he even took office, and he’s not going to stop demonstrating that Donald Trump is all about Donald Trump. All the time.
And then there’s the little matter of the setting for Trump’s dollar-a-thon.
Trump can see the Trump International Hotel from the White House lawn, making it a premier and convenient location for the June 28 major-donor event, his campaign director Michael Glassner said.
But the choice also raises ethics questions, according to conflict of interest attorneys who have been critical of Trump’s decision not to cut financial ties with his global business empire.
But honestly, compared to the way Trump has used the hotel as a required stopover for foreign officials, and the way he’s used it to extract money from lobbyists, using the Trump International to directly express money from wealthy donors into his own pocket seems refreshingly honest.
Trump isn’t hiding from conflict of interest. He’s embracing it.
Norman Eisen, who served as President Barack Obama’s lead ethics attorney, said Trump is “becoming more and more brazen in his efforts to monetize the presidency.”