Trump’s presidential bid is a scheme to get richer, quicker

[umbertino]

by: Larry Rubin

June 2 2016

 

Donald Trump might be in it for the money.

According to Don Lee and Jim Puzzanghera writing in the Chicago Tribune, "If elected, nothing under current federal law would force Trump to sell his companies or stay out of their business decisions."

If not for the money, why would Trump bother to run?

To put it mildly, he has never been known for his dedication to public service. Nor is he known for his civic-mindedness. If he's elected, he'll be the only president never to have served in the government, military or court system. He began his career by destroying communities in New York City with his super-developments and has gone on to do the same around the world.

Trump's campaign itself is making him richer. Because his name and his antics saturate the media 24/7, sales of his products are soaring and his hotels are filled worldwide.

When he won the primaries in Michigan and Mississippi last March, his victory speech was not about his policies; it was about his products. He displayed Trump red, white and rose wines, cases of Trump water and two butcher blocks heaped with Trump steaks.

It's true that Trump has lost some deals because other business people are disgusted by his xenophobic, racist, misogynistic statements. Recently, no corporation would sponsor a World Golf Championship event at one of his golf courses, so the PGA moved it elsewhere.

By and large, however, Trump is doing very well for himself.

Many of our presidents, from George Washington to FDR to JFK have been very rich, but Trump is in a league by himself. He would be the first president to preside over a global business empire.

According to Lee and Puzzanghera, Trump is an executive trustee or member of about 480 corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies or foreign entities. He owns golf courses, country clubs, hotels, casinos and ice rinks as well as companies selling steaks, magazines, water and wine.

What he's making by campaigning is peanuts compared to what his haul could be if elected.

Of course, he would fight to change tax laws and business regulations to benefit billionaires like himself.

But that's not the worst of it.

"There are well-established conflict-of-interest rules for other executive branch officials and less-strict ones for members of Congress," Lee and Puzzanghera state, "... [but] in a 2004 report on conflicts of interest in the executive branch, the non-partisan Congressional Research Service noted that the criminal statute requiring officials to recuse themselves from government matters in which they have a financial interest 'expressly excludes the president and vice president.'"

Conflict of interest laws would ban actions Trump might take as president to benefit his financial interests, but there are no laws that would prevent Trump the businessman from taking an action that would benefit from policies or programs being passed by Trump the president.

To avoid the appearance of conflict of interest, presidents have generally put their investments in blind trusts, but that's only a tradition; not a law.

The idea of a blind trustee is to have stocks and other assets managed, bought and sold by an independent third party without the knowledge of owner.

Trump has said he will have his children manage his enterprises if he became president, although according to Lee and Puzzanghera, the Office of Government Ethics specifically states that a blind trustee cannot be a relative.

Anyway, a blind trust would probably not work in Trump's case. Too much of his wealth is tied up in properties and ventures bearing his name. For example, even if Trump turns his many Trump Towers over to a blind trust, how can he forget he owns them?

"He cannot put businesses he owns in a blind trust and suddenly get a case of amnesia," attorney Kenneth Gross, an expert in such matters, told the Chicago Tribune.

"The potential conflict would come," Gross said, "if a future Trump administration, for example, declared a parcel next to a Trump golf course as public land, causing the value of his golf property to triple."

Or what if, Gross asks, "a President Trump had dealings with a leader of a foreign country where businessman Trump operates a casino?"

The latter is not a "what if." It's a reality.

Kevin Sullivan reports in the Washington Post that Trump has hundreds of millions of dollars worth of interest in the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Azerbaijan. He sold the use of his name to Anar Mammadov, whose family is part of an oil-soaked oligarchy plagued by corruption.

At present, the project, located in Azerbaijan's capital of Baku, stands only partially completed. It's stuck on hold because of the plummeting price of oil.

If Trump is elected president, he will have a tremendous incentive to continue America's dependence on oil in hopes that prices will rise and with it his tower in Azerbaijan.

"Trump has not said precisely how he would separate his personal financial interests overseas from his administration's policies," Sullivan writes.

That non-answer alone is more than enough reason to work hard to make sure Trump is not allowed anywhere near the Oval Office.

 

Photo: Charles Rex Arbogast/AP

 

http://www.peoplesworld.org/trump-s-presidential-bid-is-a-scheme-to-get-richer-quicker/

 

 

[chess]

WRONG.........Hillwhorey is the one in it for ONLY the money!!!......................................$$$.................................!

[bostonangler]

Seriously?????? They are all in it for the money!

 

B/A

[new york kevin]

Well ... not quicker.

Don't fool yourselves folks, many a po politician retire from the Congress or Senate multi millionares. Joe Biden is an example of that phenom. They cannot be arrested for insider trading. 

[Shabibilicious]

Been saying it for months......Trump cut out the middle man.  

GO RV, then BV

Edited June 3, 2016 by Shabibilicious

[SgtFuryUSCZ]

***///

A Chicago news source...?  Really....?

Apparently they're less concerned there about their  FAILED 'community organiser' fallout and

mass murders at the hand of the current administration's failed policies...

not to mention all the money ho'bummer made that he would NOT have had otherwise were it not for

his LIE-laden book about his fake daddy.

Junk literature.... wrap a fish in it... put it in the birdcage.

 

 

[Shabibilicious]

Just now, SgtFuryUSCZ said:

***///

A Chicago news source...?  Really....?

Apparently they're less concerned there about their  FAILED 'community organiser' fallout and

mass murders at the hand of the current administration's failed policies...

not to mention all the money ho'bummer made that he would NOT have had otherwise were it not for

his LIE-laden book about his fake daddy.

Junk literature.... wrap a fish in it... put it in the birdcage.

Not sure if you're familiar with printed media.....but it generally contains current events, entertainment, sports, personal adds, Arby's coupons, etc.....  

GO RV, then BV

[SgtFuryUSCZ]

***///

The MSM have failed the American People miserably.

 

.

[Shabibilicious]

4 minutes ago, SgtFuryUSCZ said:

***///

The MSM have failed the American People miserably.

Unless you're a rich loud mouth windbag (insert name here) sucking up millions in free advertisement.  

GO RV, then BV

[SgtFuryUSCZ]

***///

The Orange Man is pretty clever there. Gotta give him that !

The 'other side' is clearly ENVIOUS of his skill and ability to take advantage of a good thing when he sees it....

Windbag...?  Gee, sounds like he already possesses one of the key elements to be a politician ! And the left says

he's unprepared and has no experience... HA !

 

.

 

[Shabibilicious]

3 minutes ago, SgtFuryUSCZ said:

***///

The Orange Man is pretty clever there. Gotta give him that !

The 'other side' is clearly ENVIOUS of his skill and ability to take advantage of a good thing when he sees it....

Windbag...?  Gee, sounds like he already possesses one of the key elements to be a politician ! And the left says

he's unprepared and has no experience... HA !

Trump is a train wreck and people can't look away.  You call it clever......I call it laughable.  

GO RV, then BV

[Whatshername]

It seems to me that the SELF-FUNDING Mr. Trump is the ONLY candidate taking a pay CUT to run for office.  

[Shabibilicious]

24 minutes ago, Whatshername said:

It seems to me that the SELF-FUNDING Mr. Trump is the ONLY candidate taking a pay CUT to run for office.  

I had no idea trucker hats cost more the $20 to produce.  Learn something new everyday.    #trumpoutlet

 

GO RV, then BV

Edited June 3, 2016 by Shabibilicious

[Whatshername]

9 minutes ago, Shabibilicious said:

I had no idea trucker hats cost more the $20 to produce.  Learn something new everyday.    #trumpoutlet

 

GO RV, then BV

PROUDLY MADE IN THE USA!

http://shop.donaldjtrump.com/product-p/dtc-odtcmo-or.htm

What else ya got?

[Shabibilicious]

3 minutes ago, Whatshername said:

PROUDLY MADE IN THE USA!

What else ya got?

Not much.  

GO RV, then BV

[chess]

1 hour ago, Shabibilicious said:

Not much.  

GO RV, then BV

BECAUSE HE REALLY LOVES MEXICANS.......can't pull the (100%) wool over your eyes!!

[bigwave]

If not for the money, why would Trump bother to run?

 

To Make America Great Again!

 

That's why.

[bigwave]

[Shabibilicious]

Dubya certainly ruined a good thing.  

GO RV, then BV

[dinarathon]

OK Sham-bibilicious........We've all been inundated with your loathing of Trump, adnauseum, so.............How about you now reveal exactly WHO you DO support for president and WHY?

Then we can voice our opinions about your "SCHOLARLY WISDOM" 

[SgtFuryUSCZ]

***///

And speaking of all things "scholarly"...

 

CRIMINALarious klinton is having a ball chastising Trump for Trump University's self-victimizing cry-baby

students suffering from buyers' remorse...

 

REALLY, now....?

 

Anybody know about bill-the-molester's little "University" scam...?

Both he and his criminal wife have made MILLIONS off an International University scam so DISGUSTING it's beyond

the pale....

 

And to make matters worse, she used her tenure as Sec of State to BILK THE US TAXPAYER of over 15 MILLION

of which she and bill paid themselves almost half of....!

 

Why you ask would OUR State Department have to send MILLIONS of dollars to skanky overseas crap countries under

the guise of education for students not even University-eligible...?  They failed miserably, as it was NOT a University at all

just another KLINTON MONEY-LAUNDERING SCAM.

At least the Trump U students got something for their money... and said they liked it.

 

Perv bill alone made over 7 MILLION in 'salary' for doing absolutely nothing for this "University" except promising those

countries favours from his wife.  And they got them, too....  IRAN AMONG THEM !

 

They BOTH belong in jail... and Chelsea & her hubby, too... and bill & hill's brothers as well..!

BIG TIME THIEVES and SCAMMERS - the lot of them !

Richest High Crime Family in America.

 

.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jim1cor13]

2 hours ago, Shabibilicious said:

Dubya certainly ruined a good thing.  

GO RV, then BV

It's called political blindness. Those loyal to a party will rarely admit the facts, choosing rather instead

to blame someone else. Obama policies have been destructive for sure. Bush policies have been destructive

for sure. Clinton policies have been destructive for sure...etc., etc., etc.

 

When enough noise is made about the sitting president, it always removes the previous folks from the equation.

What always fascinates me is how many overlooked the Bush patriot act and removal of liberties, the economy

and housing that was near ruined starting in 2005 due to destructive policies, and a bail out of criminals in 2008.

Apparently that was all OK, but Obama continuing the charade places the blame on just his shoulders and any problem

this country has had in the past 50 years.

 

Dems blame repubs, repubs blame dems. Never going to change because that is how the game is played while our

republic is being torn apart by a system that can never be healed. We cannot be shortsighted about reality and how

the last 25 years have dealt a long drawn out decline in our country, nor can we be so blind as to allow ANY of the

destructive policies from these people to be overlooked...because I guarantee they will be repeated as long as we

continue to be selective and in denial about HOW we have arrived at this point in our history.

 

It is funny if it was not such a sad state of affairs. Those who think they are politically saavy appear to continue to live

in denial about any of their choices in the past, choosing rather to play the stale party game that does nothing, solves nothing

while our beloved republic continues down a long path of decline and corruption. To ANYONE who thinks what we are watching

is actually and honestly REAL, I suggest climbing out of the corrupt party boxes and begin looking closely and seriously with your

hearts at what has happened to our country. If you can ever bring yourselves to do this one thing...then ask yourself these questions:

Do I really believe one party is better than the other? Can I admit to the deep corruption that is evident at every turn within

either party? Am I willing to admit that both parties have failed so badly that the only real solution is to divest from them? Does not

actions alone tell me there is strong collusion between the actors?

 

Now the never answered question: When are WE the people going to take some responsibility for our country and demand

that ALL those who have contributed to our decay and corruption be held accountable? War crimes, financial crimes, more war crimes,

more financial crimes, presidents telling people that the constitution is nothing but a god dam piece of paper, or simply outright ignoring

it. When do WE the people quit playing the game and become part of the solution? Problem is WE the people is an illusion within our

current system and that fact alone is the driving force behind so much frustration and impotence, and the very REASON why we do not

have any viable options to hold any of these criminals accountable. They are protecting their turf, while we think they have our best

interests at heart...remember this fact...the public can ELECT the next president...but they can never SELECT them. Let that sink in

and tell me again why either party should be supported OR believed. Cognitive dissonance is a real b*tch when it comes to these matters.

 

When we become honest with ourselves, and commit to accepting truth about our delusions, I say that will be a starting point where we

can actually begin to dismantle this sham of a system. Until then, continue playing politics, because it will never change. What is needed

is for US to change and to stop supporting and enabling this circus of corruption.

 

 

 

 

[dinarathon]

Jim1cor13:  While I completely agree with your points, what are the immediate solutions to change our current state of affairs?  It's overwhelming to say the least, so how do we begin to create such an all encompassing rebirthing?
 

At least Trump, with all his imperfections, is defiantly bucking many of these dangerous political crooks!  I truly believe, as Newt Gingrich opined, that Trump is hated by the insiders because he has never given the secret handshakes or belonged to the international secret societies with their evil totalitarian agendas of greed and domination.....through whatever means!   Although it remains to be seen how steadfast he will remain in his risky pursuits of exposure, as he attempts to defy the political norm by forcing a much needed transparent shift in dialog!!     Because his intensely bold, in their faces, accusations of corrupt political destruction are long overdue, on such a public platform!  And which no one else has had the guts to brutally confront so bluntly! 

Even if done bombastically for the shock value, somebody has to be the first one on the frontlines taking fire. To me, he seems to be the perfect personality to blast through the stranglehold of PC domination and economic deterioration.   It's now up to US to utilize this powerful momentum to force productive overall change. 

How that manifests is yet to be determined.

 

 

[gymrat76541]

"Trump’s presidential bid is a scheme to get richer, quicker"      

And this differs from Hilary's plan how? She is already taking a salary from her contributions! She has already made millions from Wall-Street and her Clinton foundation.

Imagine how much more Bill and her will made being in the White House?

She is a liar, cheat and thief. I think I can trust Trump over a Clinton!

[Jim1cor13]

1 hour ago, dinarathon said:

Jim1cor13:  While I completely agree with your points, what are the immediate solutions to change our current state of affairs?  It's overwhelming to say the least, so how do we begin to create such an all encompassing rebirthing?

 

At least Trump, with all his imperfections, is defiantly bucking many of these dangerous political crooks!  I truly believe, as Newt Gingrich opined, that Trump is hated by the insiders because he has never given the secret handshakes or belonged to the international secret societies with their evil totalitarian agendas of greed and domination.....through whatever means!   Although it remains to be seen how steadfast he will remain in his risky pursuits of exposure, as he attempts to defy the political norm by forcing a much needed transparent shift in dialog!!     Because his intensely bold, in their faces, accusations of corrupt political destruction are long overdue, on such a public platform!  And which no one else has had the guts to brutally confront so bluntly! 

Even if done bombastically for the shock value, somebody has to be the first one on the frontlines taking fire. To me, he seems to be the perfect personality to blast through the stranglehold of PC domination and economic deterioration.   It's now up to US to utilize this powerful momentum to force productive overall change. 

How that manifests is yet to be determined.

 

 

Hi dinarathon

We must admit to ourselves that we have been lied to and what actions have brought us to this point. We the people are also partly

responsible for ignoring and denying too much over the years in regards to how things really are. Stop believing the lies and propaganda

of the news and start actually looking objectively at our problems apart from seeking a solution from any party. The parties have failed,

and yet most still will not believe it because the truth is painful. We have lost, we must admit it and understand why. The system has failed to produce

any fruit that contributes to a united country where the people are in charge, rather it has contributed to the destruction of our liberties and

has transformed "we the people" to a useless slogan. It is now "we the government" and this has been happening for over 50 years and no

one paid attention. We were lied to, played with, and misdirected for so long we have forgot how it happened.

 

It is going to take a commitment that quite frankly few want to be involved in. It is easy to think one person can undo the corruption, it is easier to

follow someone that tells you what you want to hear instead of playing an active role in finding truth for ourselves and then acting upon that. It is going to take massive communication from those who are capable of communicating apart from the usual political slogans and one liners that are also useless. it will take a untied country where people care about each other more than they care about their corrupt parties. it will take honesty and humility to admit that much of the actions and destructive policies of the posers in DC are being formed and put into action OUTSIDE of the beltway. It will take millions of organized people who are committed to the future of this country and its constitution. it will take massive amounts of time and energy from those millions of people to be able to try and DO what even our forefathers were unable to do...that is dismantle the banking and special interests groups that have bought out every single politician. It will take a gut wrenching period of time to pinpoint those criminals who hijacked our country and replaced it with the most insulting bunch of corporate posers we have ever seen over the last 25 years. It will take a determined effort to NOT allow any serving politician to be a dual citizen of any country so as not to introduce outside influence as it has been for decades.

 

Who do you know that can commit to just a few of these things just to get the ball rolling? Picking only one part will not get to the core of corruption.

It all must be addressed. Who will commit to this? No one I know because that would mean sacrifice that few are willing to make. So instead of me bloviating about it which changes nothing, instead of us constantly complaining and whining about the puppets who take their orders from "special interest", let's just say that the challenge is bigger than any candidate we see and what we are all up against is an agenda that has been firmly in place for a very long time.

Is it hopeless? No. What will it take? More than any of us can commit to because it has gone on for so long. The only answer is to love our country more than we do the corrupt system and stop supporting it and those who live off of it like parasites. Total divestiture of the current system so as to close the doors to those who call the shots and control us through their agents both inside and outside of the beltway. At the same time addressing all of the above.

 

If we continue to think any well meaning candidate will do the job that only "we the people" can do, then we may as well throw up our hands now, because it cannot work. The system has built in protection from anyone who would alter its design and still most do not understand this. As long as "the people" choose to pass off to their respective party the responsibility that is THEIRS, nothing can change. History proves this, and also proves that those who try end up dead.

We were sold out to the highest bidder, yet not one in a thousand will make the effort to think for themselves and be willing to seek out how the system actually got to this point. We just keep repeating the same mistakes every 4 years and then b*tch about the results. THAT is how the game works while allowing the parasites to continue to operate. No easy answers dinarathon, and unfortunately the easiest path will likely continue to be chosen...believe the show and the lies, and think that by voting they are calling the shots. People will continue to use all the useless labels to define their supposed enemies, while the real con men continue to gut this country and promote theft of the people.

 

It is all hot air, lacking substance. Some are calling for a "revolution". Good, after taking out frustrations and killing a few thousand, with people pounding their chests, what are we left with? Who fills the vacuum and with what agenda? You see, the system has built in limitations to what options we the people have...and the few options we DO have are mostly illusion, because we do not even pursue them. Protesting is great, until you are carted off to jail and accused of crimes and bankrupted due to all the legal bills. I know of someone right now who is near where I live that has taken on corrupt politicians in his town, face to face, talking with them and promising them the people are watching and will hold them accountable. Telling them of how they are breaking the law and he has many who are involved with him.

He is not an idiot, he does not walk around acting like "rambo" and making threats. He actually has meetings with commissioners and others that he has done his home work on and according to current laws, they have committed crimes. I have watched and listened to him addressing them, always polite and respectable, but will accept no bullsh*t from them and their official sounding mantras. Guess what? He was making so much progress that now the local law enforcement along with the politicians he addressed have placed criminal charges on his head and will not even tell him what they are at this time. He is unable to acquire a local lawyer to represent him in his own town because most of them are complicit and the ones not involved are hesitating to represent him. (in other words, they are afraid). The guy is a no nonsense fellow, abides by the law and does not act like an idiot or making threats, who simply had enough of the local corruption. For now, they have silenced him.

 

See, the system has built in protection. This was not only him, but many others involved. Now he is facing possible jail time, large legal bills and I know he has committed NO crimes other than standing up against corruption in his town. Those he has addressed are the criminals, but they also have the town in their pockets, as well as a majority of its residents. THIS is being repeated across this country now, and the usual outcome is accuse, charge and drown those protesting the system with legal and personal threats so as to dissolve the groups. The good thing out of it is more are rising up behind them and offering to stand along side of them. these are people who could care less about parties and who care more about their neighbors and communities and trying to expose corruption. We're not winning, but at least we are trying.

 

On a national basis? We have to escape the box created for us and look outside of it. I am having a very difficult time trying to get people to commit. It is always easier to scream and whine and just vote. But it will not change anything. More is required now because of how long the corruption has been going on and how very deep it runs. If my small town or nearby communities have corrupt elements in them, and they DO, imagine what we all face nationally within our cities up to the state level? You see, it has been made so much bigger than we the people, and has divided us to the point where we are no longer effective.

 

If we do not stop the tactics and methods used to impede a united country, we have already lost. So far, we are losing and neither party truly offers the solution that only "we the people" can create. The parties KNOW this and will do everything in their power to hinder those who call it for what it is. The others who are only interested in having their party in office they do not care about, they already have them where they want them...impotent. I talk with people who have had their fill and their stories are heartbreaking. It is not just the down and out. It is people who say their communities are dying, their parks are filled with empty syringes and their children are no longer able to enjoy their communities because of the conditions. Corruption within their towns, and the list goes on. In my own small town, we have a heroin epidemic with young folks dying weekly. Imagine the cities across this land. It is crushing.

 

Things are not ALL bad. I have met many wonderful folks who care, who are not naive and who understand how we got here and want to make a difference and they ARE within their communities. THIS IS WHERE WE CAN BEGIN TO DO IT. NOT the national level, but LOCALLY and over time it will spread out as we accomplish the above challenges on a LOCAL level. That is where I have seen the most good done, at the local level.

 

What many do not realize is that young people and those coming after us are depending upon us to do the right thing and be aware and awake. Are we?

 

 

 

Edited June 4, 2016 by Jim1cor13