During his first term in office, Donald Trump faced intense scrutiny and criticism from ethics groups regarding potential conflicts of interest linked to his business empire. Despite the criticisms, Trump made some efforts to address these concerns after winning the 2016 election. He pledged to relinquish control of his companies and place his business holdings in a trust managed by his sons, Donald Jr. and Eric Trump. However, this time around, Trump has not made similar commitments to alleviate ethical concerns, leading to new worries about potential conflicts of interest.
Valerie Smith Boyd, director of the Center for Presidential Transition at the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service, pointed out that there does not seem to be any provision in the Trump transition team’s ethics pledge that specifically addresses the president-elect’s conflicts of interest. This lack of accountability has raised alarm among ethics watchdogs, who are concerned about how Trump’s ongoing business dealings could create new ethical dilemmas if he assumes office again.
In addition to his previous business entanglements, Trump’s current wealth is heavily tied to Trump Media & Technology Group, the publicly traded company that owns his social media platform, TruthSocial. His business activities have extended beyond traditional ventures. During his campaign, Trump promoted a line of high-end watches, retailing for as much as $100,000, through a licensing agreement with a company of undisclosed origins. Further investigation traced this business deal back to a shopping plaza in Sheridan, Wyoming, which is also the registered address for numerous other companies.
Despite these new potential conflicts, CNN reached out to the Trump transition team for comment on why there is no provision to address the president-elect’s conflicts of interest, but no response was provided. As Trump moves forward with his presidential bid, these unresolved ethical questions raise concerns about transparency and accountability in the highest office of the land.
Leave feedback about this