Donald Trump and his family are profiting off the presidency.
This is something we’ve heard over and over since Trump’s first inauguration in January 2017. But I’ve heard it more than most — my organization, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), has spent countless hours tracking and calculating those profits. At the end of Trump’s first term, CREW calculated that Trump made more than $1.6 billion in outside revenue and income during his four years as president. Recently, however, The New Yorker staff writer David D. Kirkpatrick tallied up a new number, encompassing ventures from both Trump’s first and second terms: $3.4 billion.
That is an astounding amount without any historical equivalent. But at the same time, it’s a new Trump normal. Of course he’s using his public office for private gain. Of course he’s launched another business venture. Don’t presidents get rich all the time? What’s the big deal?
The fact is, while this may feel like a new normal, nothing about it is normal, and it’s a real problem worthy of the American people’s attention.
The fact is, while this may feel like a new normal, nothing about it is normal, and it’s a real problem worthy of the American people’s attention.
Indeed, anything that smacks of presidential profiteering has always struck the American public as a big deal, regardless of the person or party in office. We want to trust that our leaders are working in our best interests, not using a position of trust to line their own pockets. |
