Past presidents allowed the @SecretService to stay at their properties for free. As POTUS, @realDonaldTrump has chosen to visit @Trump properties 280 times, & to charge taxpayers high rates for rooms & official events washingtonpost.com/politics/ballr…
This @WhiteHouse won’t say how much.
This @WhiteHouse won’t say how much.
https://twitter.com/digiphile/status/1225796045730435073
5 questions journalists need to answer covering Trump:
Can what appears to have happened be confirmed?
If so, was it unprecedented?
Is this recent act of governance normal by the usual standards?
Is what happened a threat to transparency — or democracy? politico.com/magazine/story…
Can what appears to have happened be confirmed?
If so, was it unprecedented?
Is this recent act of governance normal by the usual standards?
Is what happened a threat to transparency — or democracy? politico.com/magazine/story…
1) Can what appears to have happened be confirmed?
Absolutely: @realDonaldTrump has visited @Trump businesses 503 times. He has spent a third of his presidency there. 303 visits to @TrumpGolf.
citizensforethics.org/reports-invest…
Every time, Trump businesses charged taxpayers.
Absolutely: @realDonaldTrump has visited @Trump businesses 503 times. He has spent a third of his presidency there. 303 visits to @TrumpGolf.
citizensforethics.org/reports-invest…
Every time, Trump businesses charged taxpayers.
2) Was it unprecedented?
Yes.
No @POTUS has ever chosen to patronize his own businesses liKe this or charged taxpayers millions of dollars. Other Presidents complied with federal ethics laws — even if they are exempt — by disclosing taxes & divesting from conflicts of interest.
Yes.
No @POTUS has ever chosen to patronize his own businesses liKe this or charged taxpayers millions of dollars. Other Presidents complied with federal ethics laws — even if they are exempt — by disclosing taxes & divesting from conflicts of interest.
3) Is this act of governance normal by usual standards?
No. This scale of corruption is unprecedented, even if it has been normalized since 2017.
@WhiteHouse @Trump & campaign refuse to disclose.
@realDonaldTrump is the most corrupt @POTUS in US history. medium.com/@digiphile/tru…
No. This scale of corruption is unprecedented, even if it has been normalized since 2017.
@WhiteHouse @Trump & campaign refuse to disclose.
@realDonaldTrump is the most corrupt @POTUS in US history. medium.com/@digiphile/tru…
4) Is this a great to transparency?
Yes: there is no official record of US government payments.
@usaspending should have them all; it doesn’t.
Federal agencies, White House, campaign, & Trump refuse to disclose.
@washingtonpost & @PropOTP had to sue under FOIA.
Unacceptable.
Yes: there is no official record of US government payments.
@usaspending should have them all; it doesn’t.
Federal agencies, White House, campaign, & Trump refuse to disclose.
@washingtonpost & @PropOTP had to sue under FOIA.
Unacceptable.
5) Is this a threat to democracy?
Yes. A president enriching his own businesses with taxpayer dollars & engaging in nepotism is a hallmark of a kleptocracy, not a healthy democratic state.
The Constitution provides a remedy, but @GOPSenate refuses to check Trump’s corruption.
Yes. A president enriching his own businesses with taxpayer dollars & engaging in nepotism is a hallmark of a kleptocracy, not a healthy democratic state.
The Constitution provides a remedy, but @GOPSenate refuses to check Trump’s corruption.
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