Why the President Should Not Totally Divest All Financial Interest

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Some of the most recent Presidents Lyndon Johnson, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton have placed their personal assets in a blind trust, even if they did not have a legal obligation to do so. President Obama did not, but his assets were only in mutual funds and Treasury bonds. President Trump is unique because so much of wealth is tied in with the value of his “Trump” brand. The fear of potential influence from foreign governments through economic benefits to federal officials led to the Foreign Emoluments Clause in the U.S. Constitution. Trump’s business holdings around the world could test the boundaries of the letter or spirit of the clause.

Conclusion

In conclusion, President Trump’s pick for chief of staff, Reince Priebus, has vowed that the White House counsel will review all potential areas that could pose a conflict: “I can assure the American people that there wouldn’t be any wrongdoing or any sort of undue influence over any decision-making.” President Trump has removed himself from any of the business operations at the Trump Organization. President Trump has appointed his two sons to run the organization as well as an ethics advisor to oversee any possible conflicts; his sons will have no-business related contact with their father while he serves as the President. Furthermore, President Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, whose husband is now a senior White House adviser, has resigned from all positions in the Trump Organization. The Trump Organization will not make any new foreign deals during his administration and will only pursue domestic deals. He has also made the intelligent decision not to sell off his assets because any effort to sell the company would be hampered by the fact that it’s the largest asset in the brand name associated with the newly elected President. The law doesn’t say the president can’t have a conflict of interest and has to totally divest all his financial interest. President Trump is a smart business man that will not make any irrational decisions based on his organization or his country, and he has made the correct decision to not totally divest all financial interest in the 'Trump Brand' in its many commercial forms. He has stated in regards to his company , “I hope at the end of eight years I’ll come back and say, ‘Oh, you did a good job,’” he said. “Otherwise, if they do a bad job, I’ll say, ‘You’re fired.’”

References

Investopedia. (2017, January 11). The Companies Donald Trump Owns. Retrieved from http://www.investopedia.com/updates/donald-trump-companies/

Blumenthal, P. (2017, January 11). Donald Trump Won’t Divest From His Business Interests, Opening Door To Years Of Ethics Conflicts. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-conflict-of-interest_us_587660f3e4b05b7a465cdf13

Kessler, G. and Ye Hee Lee, M. (2016, November 23). Trump’s claim that “the president can’t have a conflict of interest”. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2016/11/23/trumps-claim-that-the-president-cant-have-a-conflict-of-interest/?utm_term=.826e7aeda48b