While we’re busy focusing on Donald Trump possibly compromising our country with his “Why should I stop loving Russia just because they interfered with our election?” attitude, it’s worth pointing out that Trump revealed yesterday that while he can't be bothered to read his daily intel briefings, he’s still involved in his businesses. Even though he said he’d give them up.
You may recall that on November 30, Trump tweeted that he planned to leave his “great business” because “I feel it is visually important, as President, to in no way have a conflict of interest with my various businesses …The Presidency is a far more important task!”
Maybe not yet it isn't.
During his mostly softball interview with Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday yesterday, Trump not only showed a shocking lack of interest in his daily intelligence briefings but that he’s still devoting time to his business dealings.
Ironically, the “tell” came while Trump was patting himself on the back for “turning down billions of dollars of deals” because “I want to focus on this,” presumably meaning the presidency. It was also shortly after Trump told Wallace, “I’ll be honest with you. I don’t care about [my real estate] any more. I’m so focused on doing a great job as president.”
Then a bit later, he revealed that maybe he cares more than he wants us to think. From the FoxNews.com transcript, with added emphases:
TRUMP: I am turning down billions of dollars of deals. I will tell you, running for president, the money I spent is peanuts compared to the money I won’t make. And that’s OK because this is so important. What I’m doing is so important.
This is a calling. This is so—this is a movement. It’s not just me, it’s millions and millions of people. You got to see it firsthand. I’m not going to be doing deals at all. No, that would be—I don’t even know if that’s a conflict. I mean I—I have the right to do it. You know under the law I have the right to do it. I just don’t want to do it. I don’t want to do deals because I want to focus on this.
But by my not doing deals, I turned down seven deals with one big player, great player, last week because I thought it could be perceived as a conflict of interest.
Notice how Trump did not say he turned down the deals because he's so focused on being president? He boasted that he did it because it could have been seen as a conflict of interest.
The conversation went on and Trump ridiculously claimed that his kids won't be making deals either. That is, after he said they would be.
WALLACE: But your—are you going to be able to do it (ph).
TRUMP: It was—it was probably a billion dollars of deals that I turned down because it was—
WALLACE: But if your kids do it, isn’t it going to be the same thing?
TRUMP: No, it’s totally different. They’re not—they’re not—they’re not president. I mean, they’re not president. But they’re not going to do it either. Oh, I see what you’re getting at. No, they’re not making deals either for my company.
WALLACE: Right.
TRUMP: They’re not making deals. And they’re going to run my company. I have a lot of property and great stuff. They’re going to run it. They’re going to run it. Hopefully they’re going to run it properly. I’m sure they’re going to run it properly. But I’m not going to do deals. And I think, you know, I think that’s going to be good.
Putting aside the issues with his children, the obvious truth is that if Trump turned down seven deals, that means he’s still conducting business in some fashion. Or, even worse, someone he's involved with in his capacity as president-elect is trying to conduct business with him.
Of course, Wallace – who seemed there to help promote Trump’s image, not act as an objective interviewer – didn’t say a word about it.
Today, Trump postponed his previously scheduled news conference to reveal how he'll handle his businesses while in office. Bloomberg reports:
Trump had planned to make the announcement Dec. 15 but wants more time because he’s been occupied with filling out his cabinet and top administration posts, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. He’s preparing to reveal his choice for secretary of state as soon as Tuesday, they said.
That's right, he's only thinking of us.
Watch the BS below, from the December 11, 2016 Fox News Sunday.
Note to self: buy a seat belt for my TV-viewing chair.