Last updated on July 18th, 2023 at 11:28 am
Trump used Air Force One to shoot a campaign video, which is an illegal use of the presidential seal for political purposes.
Trump shot an illegal video on Air Force One
The Washington Post reported:
After Trump, or an aide, posted the video blasting de Blasio, the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, or CREW, tweeted: “Nice political ad filmed on Air Force One. You now legally need to reimburse the Treasury for the use of Air Force One on a political trip. Since you had no problem tweeting out the video, you should have no problem tweeting out the receipts when you reimburse the taxpayers.â€
But even more than the potential campaign finance violation, Virginia Canter, CREW’s chief ethics counsel, said what bothers her most is the president’s use of the presidential seal in a political pitch.
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It is actually illegal under the U.S. code to use the seal “for the purpose of conveying, or in a manner reasonably calculated to convey, a false impression of sponsorship or approval by the Government of the United States.â€
Trump is using the presidency as a campaign prop
Trump has already tried to use the presidency to force a foreign government to interfere in the 2020 election by spreading a conspiracy about Joe Biden. Trump’s entire trip should be paid for by his campaign. Taxpayers were picking up the cost of the trip, but once he turned Air Force One into a campaign plane, he is required by law to reimburse the taxpayers.
Donald Trump is a walking disrespect to the presidency.
He is desperate to stay in power, and he is going to abuse the office to do everything that he can to avoid being voted out of office in 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
