Trump appears to have finally admitted what journalists have been investigating since the beginning of his administration. Donald Trump made government employees sign non-disclosure agreements before joining his administration.
Trump tweeted:
Wacky Omarosa already has a fully signed Non-Disclosure Agreement!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 13, 2018
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The New York Times pointed to the conflict that the Trump NDAs create, “But it is highly unusual for White House officials to be asked to sign such agreements for matters beyond classified information. As stewards of the taxpayers, federal employees typically are not asked to muzzle themselves to protect reputations or insulate others from embarrassment, as is typical in confidentiality agreements that bind private citizens. They are obliged to respond to disclosure requests from members of Congress and federal agencies, among others. And they enjoy strong whistle-blower protections to safeguard their ability to speak out if they witness wrongdoing within the government.”
Government employees are not employees of Donald Trump. Individuals may serve at the president’s pleasure, but the President Of The United States is not their employer. Government employees can’t be silenced through a non-disclosure agreement, and most legal experts believe that Trump’s NDAs are unenforceable.
The agreements themselves point to a much larger problem. Trump doesn’t view himself and his administration as public servants. To him, the presidency is a Trump venture. He is in charge. He doesn’t work for the American people. The American people work for him. The NDAs are the Trump mentality in written form. Trump has placed himself above the country, and voters must deliver a reminder of who is really in charge this November.
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Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
