by Pa Rock
Citizen Journalist
Some of the yokels and hare brains who helped elect Donald Trump to the presidency claimed to have supported him because he was "a businessman" and they felt that America needed to be run like "a business." What they got for their efforts was a businessman who could not let go of HIS businesses - or the businesses of his family members.
As an example, a report on National Public Radio this morning suggested that a Trump hotel project in Dallas is being funded, in part, with money from Kazahkstan, the largest of the former Soviet satellite states. While Kazahkstan is today independent of the Russian Bear, it still exists in its cold shadow and is characterized by a long-term authoritarian government known for oppressing the rights of its individual citizens. But Trump will take money from Kazahkstan, thank you very much.
Should an American President accept investment monies from citizens of a foreign nation? Should a President of the United States have his hand out seeking money from any investors?
Also in the news of late has been a story that the Department of Defense is thinking about renting an entire floor of the Trump Tower in New York City, a transaction that will cost our government a hefty $1.5 million a year. The justification for this outrage is that the serviceman carrying the nuclear codes needs to be physically close to the Commander-in-Chief at all times. The Secret Service is reportedly also planning on renting space in Trump's phallic monument to himself.
Today Trump is hosting the Prime Minister of Japan at the White House, but when their meetings are over, Trump is taking his guest to his resort in Florida - Mar El Lago. Trump says that he will pay the Japanese leader's rent at the resort out of his own pocket, but even so Trump will still benefit immeasurably by all of the publicity that a state visit by a foreign leader will generate for his business property.
And then there's Ivanka. Trump's oldest child makes her pin money by hawking clothing and jewelry of her own design, much of which is produced in China. This week Nordstrom's announced that they were discontinuing Ivanka's clothing line, and Big Daddy rushed to fire up his Twitter account where he disparaged that Seattle-based retailer for picking on his daughter. Later administration mouthpiece, Kellyanne Conway, went on Fox where she essentially did an infomercial for Ivanka's line of rags.
Was Trump elected to bully companies into selling Ivanka's wares, or should he be focused on governing?
Trump's intent was to teach Nordstrom's a lesson as he had done earlier when some of his vitriol had brought down the price of Boeing stock. But America is beginning to stand up to presidential bullying - and Nordstrom's stock took a sharp rise after Trump tweeted his displeasure with the company.
Oops!
Perhaps America could benefit from the leadership of a skilled and successful businessman, but that is not what the country elected. Refusing to pay contractors and workers, buying cheap goods abroad, using frivolous lawsuits and bankruptcy filings to hide from honest debt, and using the highest office in the land to promote benefits to his own business interests are not the hallmarks of a good businessman.
America deserves better.
Citizen Journalist
Some of the yokels and hare brains who helped elect Donald Trump to the presidency claimed to have supported him because he was "a businessman" and they felt that America needed to be run like "a business." What they got for their efforts was a businessman who could not let go of HIS businesses - or the businesses of his family members.
As an example, a report on National Public Radio this morning suggested that a Trump hotel project in Dallas is being funded, in part, with money from Kazahkstan, the largest of the former Soviet satellite states. While Kazahkstan is today independent of the Russian Bear, it still exists in its cold shadow and is characterized by a long-term authoritarian government known for oppressing the rights of its individual citizens. But Trump will take money from Kazahkstan, thank you very much.
Should an American President accept investment monies from citizens of a foreign nation? Should a President of the United States have his hand out seeking money from any investors?
Also in the news of late has been a story that the Department of Defense is thinking about renting an entire floor of the Trump Tower in New York City, a transaction that will cost our government a hefty $1.5 million a year. The justification for this outrage is that the serviceman carrying the nuclear codes needs to be physically close to the Commander-in-Chief at all times. The Secret Service is reportedly also planning on renting space in Trump's phallic monument to himself.
Today Trump is hosting the Prime Minister of Japan at the White House, but when their meetings are over, Trump is taking his guest to his resort in Florida - Mar El Lago. Trump says that he will pay the Japanese leader's rent at the resort out of his own pocket, but even so Trump will still benefit immeasurably by all of the publicity that a state visit by a foreign leader will generate for his business property.
And then there's Ivanka. Trump's oldest child makes her pin money by hawking clothing and jewelry of her own design, much of which is produced in China. This week Nordstrom's announced that they were discontinuing Ivanka's clothing line, and Big Daddy rushed to fire up his Twitter account where he disparaged that Seattle-based retailer for picking on his daughter. Later administration mouthpiece, Kellyanne Conway, went on Fox where she essentially did an infomercial for Ivanka's line of rags.
Was Trump elected to bully companies into selling Ivanka's wares, or should he be focused on governing?
Trump's intent was to teach Nordstrom's a lesson as he had done earlier when some of his vitriol had brought down the price of Boeing stock. But America is beginning to stand up to presidential bullying - and Nordstrom's stock took a sharp rise after Trump tweeted his displeasure with the company.
Oops!
Perhaps America could benefit from the leadership of a skilled and successful businessman, but that is not what the country elected. Refusing to pay contractors and workers, buying cheap goods abroad, using frivolous lawsuits and bankruptcy filings to hide from honest debt, and using the highest office in the land to promote benefits to his own business interests are not the hallmarks of a good businessman.
America deserves better.
1 comment:
You ask “Should an American President accept investment monies from citizens of a foreign nation? Should a President of the United States have his hand out seeking money from any investors?”
The Constitution answers with a resounding “NO!”
Article 1 Section 9 Clause 8 of the Constitution says “No title of nobility shall be granted by the United States: and no person holding any office of profit or trust under them, shall, without the consent of the Congress, accept of any present, emolument, office, or title, of any kind whatever, from any king, prince, or foreign state.”
This clause is distinguished from the similar ban applicable to Senators and Representatives in Article 1 Section 6 Clause 2, which says “No Senator or Representative shall, during the time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil office under the authority of the United States, which shall have been created, or the emoluments whereof shall have been increased during such time: and no person holding any office under the United States, shall be a member of either House during his continuance in office.”
(This is why the Congress passes a pay increase for itself to go into effect after the next election).
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