President Trump’s approval rating falls again.  Soon it will be lower than Trump University graduates’ success rate.

The number of potential conflicts of interest that entangles this president is astonishing.  Here are just a small fraction of the issues:

Instead of putting his assets into a real blind trust with the trustees having no financial relationship to him, as former presidents did, Trump turned his company over to his 3 children.

Rudy Giuliani said using a blind trust would put his children out of work.  No problem there – he’ll just hire them.

Anyone wishing to influence U.S. government policy can now do so indirectly by benefitting Trump holdings.

The National Labor Relations Board enforces labor laws.  Since Trump properties have ongoing fights with labor unions, and the Board has previously ruled against him, he could reverse this because he appoints all 5 board members.

Foreign support seekers could show their appreciation for any help Trump could give by staying at the Washington, D.C. Trump International Hotel, at up to $20,000 a night.

He has business deals with foreign governments and individuals and 100 companies in 18 countries.  Helping them could help him.

An anti-nepotism law was passed in 1967, and yet Ivanka and Jared play major administration roles.

He owes hundreds of millions of dollars to foreign financial interests – including the Bank of China and DeutscheBank, which could influence U.S. economic policy.

He owns a vineyard that hires foreign workers.

He has said that “his brand is hotter than ever.”

He has said that the President is allowed to have whatever conflicts of interest he wants.  This actually is true, but other presidents in modern times acted as if the law did apply to them.

With his business interests spanning the globe, he can be influenced by allies, dictatorships and anti-American interests.

The Office of Government Ethics says he has not solved the problem of his conflicts of interest.

Because he needs real estate loans, he needs easy money from banks.  This is the reason he wants to dismantle Dodd-Franks.

 

It is painfully evident that the President is in it for one thing – enriching himself.