Congress must address Trump’s financial conflicts to protect against foreign interference in elections
Congress must take steps to ensure President-elect Trump puts the interests of the American people ahead of his own private financial interests, according to testimony CREW submitted to the Committee on House Administration for the hearing “American Confidence in Elections: Prohibiting Foreign Interference.”
The scale of President Trump’s financial entanglements with foreign governments is staggering. During his first term, President Trump likely benefited from at least $13.6 million in payments from 25 foreign governments, including more than $6.5 million combined from China and Saudi Arabia. Additionally, 145 foreign officials from 75 governments visited Trump properties, and foreign governments hosted 13 events at Trump-owned hotels and resorts. Those conflicts may reemerge during Trump’s second term, in addition to several new conflicts, including his close relationship with Saudi-funded LIV Golf and a new Trump development in Oman.
Trump’s foreign business entanglements threaten American democracy and the integrity of American elections. A president with substantial foreign financial conflicts may be more likely to act in their own financial interest, and in the interest of adversarial foreign nations, but against the best interests of the American people. Foreign nations may be incentivized to interfere in American elections to bolster a candidate from whom they can gain favorable treatment by patronizing that candidate’s businesses.
That is precisely why the framers of the Constitution wrote the Foreign Emoluments Clause, which prevents the president from receiving, among other things, profits, gains or advantages from foreign governments, without the consent of Congress. President Trump violated this provision of the Constitution by failing to divest from his businesses during his first term, and should he again refuse to divest, he will continue to be in violation.
As President Trump prepares to return to the White House, Congress must take action to protect our democracy from his foreign financial entanglements.