Trump Pays Trump To Host Trump To Elect Trump

The Trump family business is getting paid to host a fundraiser featuring President Trump to benefit President Trump’s campaign and the political party that President Trump represents in the White House.

Having trouble following? Wednesday night the president is offering remarks at a joint campaign and Republican National Committee fundraiser for his own re-election at his own hotel in Washington, D.C.. Tickets are $35,000 per head. For $100,000 an attendee can become a member of the dinner’s host committee.

It’s understandable if this makes you think of the handful of lawsuits currently pending that allege President Trump is violating the Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The Emoluments Clause states that the president is not to receive gifts or payments from foreign governments. But even critics acknowledge that’s not the issue in this case.

It does, however, raise serious conflict of interest questions with ethics experts. Kathleen Clark, a former ethics lawyer for the District of Columbia, tells the Associated Press that hosting the event is a "bold example of self-dealing that deeply concerns some Americans."

President Trump filed his re-election paperwork with the Federal Election Commission on Inauguration Day, earlier than any previous candidate. The Trump campaign has already made $7 million from small donors and sales of merchandise, like his Make America Great Again baseball caps.

Last week Trump texted a message to his followers, encouraging them to participate in a drawing to attend tonight’s big ticket fundraiser:

"Do not worry about a thing. We will fly you to DC, we will take a picture together, and you will stay at a beautiful hotel. BIG LEAGUE."

President Trump is hardly the first politician, nor the first president, to benefit financially from his time in office. Most others, though, have waited until they weren’t actually in office anymore

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— Asha Sanaker

(Photo Credit: Wikimedia / Creative Commons)