Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Intelligence Committee, exposed Donald Trump’s claims about his so-called “Winter White House” today, pointing out that Mar-a-Lago is not a winter white house but a private for-profit business, with all the ethical and security problems that entails:
There's no question @POTUS businesses are causing serious conflicts of interest, and pose extraordinary risks of corruption. Let me explain:
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) March 10, 2017
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.@POTUS made Mar-A-Lago his "Winter White House." It’s not. It’s a private for-profit business where dues just increased from $100k to $200k
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) March 10, 2017
So @POTUS makes it known that he holds important meetings with foreign leaders at Mar-A-Lago, then raises the cost of joining. Hmmmm….
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) March 10, 2017
Guests at Mar-A-Lago brag about being close to action, post photos of guy with nuclear codes. It is quite literally $$$ for access to @POTUS
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) March 10, 2017
Every major news outlet reports on Trump's meetings – and mention Mar-A-Lago. Trump also gets free press for his hotel on America's dime.
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) March 10, 2017
Trump used Mar-A-Lago dining room as open air Situation Room to discuss response North Korea missile launch. Still sounds crazy to type out!
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) March 10, 2017
This is just one property, one project, one ethical quagmire. Conflicts exist w/ practically every Trump family property. Wake up @HouseGOP.
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) March 10, 2017
As Schiff says, Mar-a-Lago is “one ethical quagmire” out of many in the Trump empire. He is right when he points out that Trump is a “walking, talking violation of the Emoluments Clause” and has been since Day 1 of his administration.
There is no question that Trump’s business interests will not always align with American interests or with National Security needs (and forget for a moment the security risk his holding court in public places poses).
Donald Trump has shown Americans and the world that he cannot be trusted to place what’s best for America above his own interests. This is a basic problem of corporations, which see not the public good but their bottom line as what matters.
And in Donald Trump, America has elected a corporation to run it. As Schiff says, it’s time for America to wake up.
Hrafnkell Haraldsson, a social liberal with leanings toward centrist politics has degrees in history and philosophy. His interests include, besides history and philosophy, human rights issues, freedom of choice, religion, and the precarious dichotomy of freedom of speech and intolerance. He brings a slightly different perspective to his writing, being that he is neither a follower of an Abrahamic faith nor an atheist but a polytheist, a modern-day Heathen who follows the customs and traditions of his Norse ancestors. He maintains his own blog, A Heathen’s Day, which deals with Heathen and Pagan matters, and Mos Maiorum Foundation www.mosmaiorum.org, dedicated to ethnic religion. He has also contributed to NewsJunkiePost, GodsOwnParty and Pagan+Politics.
