Why Donald Trump should not divest

How much money has Obama taken from foreign states? Has he shown his financial information and tax returns every year? Even if the president does not operate a business, he or she can still take emoluments from foreign states.

There is no law that says the president has to release tax returns to the public. There is no law that says the president cannot operate a business. For those who don't like it, they are welcome to pass laws. Elizabeth Warren tried to no avail.

originally posted by: JeremySun
How much money has Obama taken from foreign states? Has he shown his financial information and tax returns every year? Even if the president does not operate a business, he or she can still take emoluments from foreign states.

Yes, the president and vice president have continued to release their tax returns yearly as has been the norm. [[[Trump being the exception]]]. These can be found on whitehouse.gov as well as mirrored all over the internet.

It's not that they HAVE TO release their taxes or CANNOT run a business. It's just what you and I are okay with.

My opinion is that the presidency should be a clean thing. I don't think operating a multi-billion dollar business on the side will make him a better president. I don't know that it'll make him a worse president, but it COULD make him a worse president. And it CAN'T make him a better president. And that's why I wish this wasn't a thing.

a reply to: TheBlackTiger

Emoluments won't show on tax returns. They are not taxable. Obama can take millions of dollars from Iran in exchange for supplying uranium to Iran. And you won't ever see that on his tax returns.

originally posted by: JeremySun
a reply to: TheBlackTiger

Emoluments won't show on tax returns. They are not taxable. Obama can take millions of dollars from Iran in exchange for supplying uranium to Iran. And you won't ever see that on his tax returns.

OK so what's your point, then? That we should end the charade and from now on, not even try for subtlety as concerns conflicts of interest? Just go for it?

a reply to: TheBlackTiger

There is no CONFLICT of interest if a president makes his country better. If he makes his country better while making himself wealthier, there is no CONFLICT.

a reply to: JeremySun

So are you Pro-Corruption??? Is that what you're implying here???

What exactly is your point?? Is this about what He Can and Can't do or what he Should or Shouldn't do???

a reply to: mOjOm

I'm against corruption. The president's ONLY job is make his country better. If he does that, he is a good president. If he becomes wealthier in the process, there's no harm in that.

Trump is not going to run the Trump organization while he is POTUS. He won't be getting any financial gain as POTUS.

a reply to: JeremySun

Making the country "better" is a very relative term.

What constitutes "better" exactly??? Better for who??? In what way??? Who decides what is better???

This was all explained by Sheri Dillon at Trump's press conference Jan. 11th.

Here's the transcript: www.nytimes.com...

Trump knows exactly what he's doing and what is best for the American people. He has the best legal advisors and knows way in advance what is allowed, what's not allowed, and what his decision will be. He's on it, people.

Here is a portion of her statement, and you can read the rest from the above link. It starts about half-way down the page.

And with that, I’m going to bring up Sheri Dillon, and she’s going to go — these papers are just some of the many documents that I’ve signed turning over complete and total control to my sons.

(CROSSTALK)

DILLON: Good morning. It’s my honor and privilege to be here today at President-elect Trump’s request.

He’s asked me, as you just heard, to speak about the conflicts of interest and the steps he’s taking. As you know, the business empire built by President-elect Trump over the years is massive, not dissimilar to the fortunes of Nelson Rockefeller when he became vice president. But at that time, no one was so concerned.

President-elect Trump wants the American public to rest assured that all of his efforts are directed to pursuing the people’s business and not his own. To that end, as he explained a few moments ago, he directed me and my colleagues at the law firm Morgan Lewis and Bockius to design a structure for his business empire that will completely isolate him from the management of the company.

He further instructed that we build in protections that will assure the American people the decisions he makes and the actions that he takes as president are for their benefit and not to support his financial interests.

DILLON: As he said, he’s voluntarily taking this on. The conflicts of interest laws simply do not apply to the president or the vice president and they are not required to separate themselves from their financial assets. The primary conflicts of interest statutes and some have questioned it, is Section 18 USC 208 and it’s simply inapplicable by its terms. And this is not just our interpretation. It’s Congress itself who have made this clear in 1989 when it amended Section 18 USC 202 to state that, except as otherwise provided, the terms office and employee in section 208 shall not include the president.

a reply to: mOjOm

Better as in less national debt, more jobs, less crime, better infrastructure. All of which Obama failed to do.

What a make believe world designed for five year olds to enjoy that Trump has created.

The stacks of folders is a dead give away of a total lie.

I mean, really?

Trump: Ok grab a bunch of folders and through them in the car. We need to stack them up all around the podium.
Pence: Sir, are you serious?
Staff: Good idea sir, I'll start cleaning out these file cabinets.
Trump: Good, great. It's gotta look huge! Make it huge. And let's through in some Trump Steaks too, just arrange them around the files.
Pence: Uh, sir, I don't think that would be a good idea...


And then Trump says when asked about his tax returns:

- I don't need to show them, I won.

WTF

a reply to: queenofswords

It was also determined by lawyers that if an ambassador comes and stays at a Trump hotel, the hotel fee would not be an emolument. A fee is not a gift, a present, or a title.

If I mow your lawn, you bet I'm not gonna do it for free, I'm gonna do it for a pay. The pay is not an emolument.

a reply to: JeremySun

A fee is not a gift, a present, or title.

Nor is an emolument.

www.dictionary.com...

originally posted by: JeremySun
a reply to: queenofswords

It was also determined by lawyers that if an ambassador comes and stays at a Trump hotel, the hotel fee would not be an emolument. A fee is not a gift, a present, or a title.

If I mow your lawn, you bet I'm not gonna do it for free, I'm gonna do it for a pay. The pay is not an emolument.

And from the same link I posted above: (Bolding is mine).

But since President-elect Trump has been elected, some people want to define emoluments to cover routine business transactions like paying for hotel rooms. They suggest that the Constitution prohibits the businesses from even arm’s-length transactions that the president-elect has absolutely nothing to do with and isn’t even aware of.

These people are wrong. This is not what the Constitution says. Paying for a hotel room is not a gift or a present and it has nothing to do with an office. It’s not an emolument.

The Constitution does not require President-elect Trump to do anything here. But, just like with conflicts of interests, he wants to do more than what the Constitution requires.

So, President-elect Trump has decided, and we are announcing today, that he is going to voluntarily donate all profits from foreign government payments made to his hotel to the United States Treasury. This way, it is the American people who will profit.

a reply to: JeremySun

This whole post could be summed up with this......


You apparently dont know what a Blind Trust is........your whole OP is grounded on the basis of ideas you have that arent accurate

Come on people do some research........

a reply to: queenofswords

Only profits will be donated to the Treasury. If there is no profit, then the fee will not be donated.

originally posted by: JeremySun

originally posted by: Swills
a reply to: JeremySun

Jimmy Carter gave up his peanut farm yet Trump shouldn't give up anything?

Because the Trump organization does not solely belong to Donald Trump. It belongs to the Trump family. His kids also work there.

If Donald Trump shuts down the Trump organization, everyone in his family would be unemployed except himself who would work as the POTUS and an exec producer at Celeb Apprentice.

This is not Donald Trump's decision to make.

again its not shutting down or selling the business........please for the love of god look up how a blind trust works....

a reply to: Phage

Emolument is a benefit. If I mow your lawn, you pay me for my labor, fuel, time. That is not a gift. That is not an emolument.

The dictionary is wrong. It says profit and salary and fee are the same thing. No they aren't. Profit = fee - labor cost - maintenance cost - lease - tax - replacement cost - material cost.