This Week in Trump Making Money off the Presidency
April 27, 2017
Donald Trump seems to find a new way to make money off the presidency every few hours. The Trump family retains financial interests all over the world and the way the White House has gone about dealing with those potential conflicts “leaves more questions than answers in [the] first 100 days.” Here’s what you might have missed this week:
Trump has visited one of his properties at least once every 3 days.
Washington Post: “Of the 94 days [Trump] has been president, he has spent all or part of his time at Trump-branded properties on 33 of them, or an average of once every 2.8 days.”
Trump’s sons want to start a chain of hotels that caters to parts of the country that voted for Trump.
Associated Press: “[Trump’s sons are] eyeing ways to use the new lease on the family fame by expanding the brand into parts of the United States that embrace him.”
The State Department hosted a webpage promoting Mar-a-Lago.
NBC News: “[The State Dept.] calling [Mar-a-Lago] the 'winter White House' appears to suggest that Mar-a-Lago has an official governmental role, which would appear to provide a governmental endorsement.”
CREW’s Jordan Libowitz: “[The post] reads almost like an ad for Mar-a-Lago… if they weren’t trying to drive business there, you have to wonder what they were doing.”
Trump’s visits to Mar-a-Lago cost Palm Beach County millions – local taxes may be forced to increase, and retirees who rely on Social Security will take the hit.
Newsweek: “Palm Beach County is considering either budget cuts or even raising taxes unless the federal government can reimburse it for the escalating security costs of protecting [Trump] every time he visits [Mar-a-Lago]. Should taxes be increased, one group, in particular, could be greatly affected… residents who solely rely on Social Security as their primary income.”
More of Trump’s profits appear to violate the Constitution’s anti-bribery clause and Trump hasn’t donated foreign profits to Treasury like he promised.
Reuters: “Public pension funds in at least seven U.S. states have invested millions of dollars in an investment fund that owns a New York hotel and pays one of President Donald Trump's companies to run it, according to a Reuters review of public records. That arrangement could put Trump at risk of violating an obscure constitutional clause, some legal experts say.”
NPR: “Trump promised any profits from foreign governments will be donated to the U.S. Treasury — so far, that hasn't happened.”
Ivanka’s company continues to apply for trademark requests in the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Canada, and China.
Associated Press: “Since [Trump] was elected president of the United States, global sales of Ivanka Trump merchandise have surged and the company has applied for at least nine new trademarks in the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Canada and the U.S.”
Associated Press: “On April 6, Ivanka Trump’s company won provisional approval from the Chinese government for three new trademarks … That night, the first daughter and her husband, Jared Kushner, sat next to the president of China and his wife for a steak and Dover sole dinner at Mar-a-Lago.”
Washington Post: “Ivanka Trump’s foreign entanglements put America’s reputation on the line.”