Are Democrats grasping at straws to find ethics violations against President Donald Trump?
Some have their sights set on his South Florida, Mar-a-Lago resort, that the administration calls the “Winter White House.”
The president invited Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe and his wife to join him and first lady Melania Trump at the resort this weekend after the two met in D.C.
It’s customary for foreign leaders and the U.S. president to exchange gifts when they meet. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said the prime minister’s free weekend at the resort was his gift for this visit.
Oops! We could not locate your form.
That rubbed some people the wrong way.
“Hosting a foreign leader at the president’s business resort creates impossible sets of conflicts,” Robert Weissman, who serves as president of the watchdog group Public Citizen, told the Associated Press.
“If the president hadn’t offered to pay, the U.S. government would be paying Donald Trump’s business for the purpose of hosting the Japanese leader,” he said, suggesting that Camp David in Maryland was a more appropriate venue.
“Why should you go to a resort in Florida?” Weissman said. “Fine, you want to go to a resort in Florida? Don’t go to one Trump’s family owns.”
But is it much ado about nothing?
The Associated Press noted that President George W. Bush often invited world leaders to his Texas ranch for meetings.
But somehow for President Trump, the attack dogs don’t see it the same way.
“It’s difficult, in effect, to get away inside the White House with the press corps in the same building,” Bruce Buchanan, a professor of politics at the University of Texas at Austin, said.
“In fact, it’s very desirable for presidents to have multiple venues within which to build and create relationships with other world leaders,” he added.
But it still had the president’s haters on social media calling it a conflict.
@ezlusztig Every time @realDonaldTrump chooses to go to Mar-a-Lago it = a conflict of interest and misuse of taxpayer funds.
— Informed1 (@Stayguam) February 12, 2017
Why is Trump allowed to “host” at Mar a Lago? Surely this is yet more above and below line advertising of his business ventures? #conflict
— AntoniaD (@AntoniaDeeson) February 12, 2017
@FernandoAmandi I would personally be protesting at Mar a Lago, huge conflict of interest and profiteering for Brand, everyone silent, awful
— Janelle Espinosa (@JanelleEsp) February 12, 2017
@realDonaldTrump Isn’t using a private, money-making concern (Mar-a-Lago) for State business a conflict of interest?
— John Mundy (@JohnMundy) February 12, 2017
.@cnn Please stop referring to #MaraLago as the “Winter WH”. It is owned by a traitor & is a conflict of interest. America has one WH PERIOD
— Carly ?? (@patch1774) February 4, 2017
Promoting his resort and “paying” for PM Abe and his wife to stay there… hmmm – how is that not a conflict of interest? https://t.co/av1oRVHYA5
— Tara (@jandtrich) February 11, 2017
Wake up right! Receive our free morning news blast HERE
DONATE TO BIZPAC REVIEW
Please help us! If you are fed up with letting radical big tech execs, phony fact-checkers, tyrannical liberals and a lying mainstream media have unprecedented power over your news please consider making a donation to BPR to help us fight them. Now is the time. Truth has never been more critical!
- Britney Spears shows off her rockin’ new bod, but had to spoil it with a liberal message about ‘Dreamers’ - December 24, 2017
- Border patrol forget they’re supposed to be heartless, deliver beautiful baby at the border - December 24, 2017
- After scoring tax cut victory, Trump sees ‘tremendous Democrat support’ for his next big initiative - December 24, 2017
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.
BPR INSIDER COMMENTS
Scroll down for non-member comments or join our insider conversations by becoming a member. We'd love to have you!