The former director of the White House Office Of Government Ethics, Walter Shaub, is proposing that a new law be passed that would force Trump to pay for his own golf trips.
A Law To Make Trump Pay For His Own Golf Trips
Shaub tweeted:
How about a law that says anytime POTUS visits a property on or adjacent to a golf course, he/she must pay for all costs incurred by the entourage from the minute he/she left the White House until he/she is back inside the White House? The Golf On Your Own Damn Dime Act of 2019
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) June 8, 2019
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
There is a sound argument to be made that taxpayers shouldn’t be paying for any golf trips for any presidents, but Trump has taken the abuse to a new extreme, because outside of two trips, every single golf outing has been to a property that is owned by Donald Trump, so when the government has to spend money to protect Trump on these golf trips, the cash is going straight from the taxpayers’ paychecks to Trump’s pocket.
Shaub was somewhat kidding with his tweet, especially with the name of his proposed legislation, but the underlying ethical problem is deadly serious. Trump is stealing from the taxpayers and lining his own pockets.
There are lessons to be learned from the presidency of Donald Trump. One of the most vital is that the honor system doesn’t work. Presidential candidates and presidents won’t necessarily do the right thing because it is the right thing to do. The country needs stronger laws and ethical protections so that there can never again be a corrupt president who can abuse the system like Donald Trump.
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
