Donald Trump Reports He’s Getting Rich as President

[Aristotle]

Donald Trump Reports He’s Getting Rich as President

Fucking disgusting. The emoluments clause is crying for mercy.

President Trump says he’s received tens of millions of dollars in income from the golf courses and resorts whose profile he boosted during frequent visits since taking office, according to filings released Friday by the U.S. Office of Government Ethics.

Properties that Trump frequently visited as president saw the largest boost in income. Trump claimed more than $37 million in income from Mar-a-Lago, the Palm Beach County resort in Florida he described as his “Winter White House,” as well as $20 million in income from the nearby golf club he owns in Jupiter, Florida. His claimed Mar-a-Lago income rose rapidly since his last two financial disclosures with the FEC: Trump reported more than $15 million in income from the resort in the 2015 report, followed by $29 million in the 2016 version.

A May 5 analysis by The Washington Post found that Trump visited at least one of the properties he owned in 36 of his first 108 days in office, or one-third of his presidency to that time. The trips include almost weekly visits to Mar-a-Lago and his Florida properties, where he mingles with guests and club members as well as hosts foreign dignitaries.

[Sier]

This will be one of the occasions where we agree on politics...

This isn't a localized issue to one president, however. Is it or is it not acceptable for a president to make money while in office for:

• Existing stocks
• Written novel income
• Speech engagements
• Real estate holdings

Historically most (perhaps all) presidents made money from outside sources during the presidency. Previous presidents, like Trump, made money off of all of the items on the above list. It's most certainly a bi-partisan problem. As Trump was a high profile businessman before taking office, he most certainly hits on one of those points more highly. As much as I agree on roughly 85% of his policies, yes, I'm aware he got into the presidency to benefit himself, and that is shameful.

It would be wonderful if presidents outside income would be limited to what they make in office (400,000 per year), but again, you run into presidents who would most certainly profit on deals they make after they leave the office.

I certainly don't have a good solution to this to offer, and it's a tad frustrating to watch current and former presidents making decisions based on how they will merit.

Will they impeach him for something like this? I doubt it.

[Aristotle]

Ka-Ching

Donald Trump is raking in big bucks from emoluments foreign and domestic.

[Xywalan]

Also, Trump has not only not released has tax returns he also has constantly lied about it. But obviously, the mad Republican base doens't really care about that.

Remember, the so-called Rachel Maddow anti-climax, "nothing burgrer" etc? https://www.theguardian.com/media/sh...ell-that-wasnt

And what, if anything, did they reveal? That Trump paid $38m (£31.1) in tax on an income of $150m (£122.7).

That sounds strangely reasonable. It’s an effective tax rate of 25%, which is pretty low for a high roller such as Trump. Hillary Clinton paid at a rate of 31% that year.

Bombshell, you said. Moreover, $31m of the $38m he did pay was incurred due to something called the “alternative minimum tax”, which Trump has pledged to eliminate.

Mildly scandalous! Indeed, so mild that Johnston speculated Trump may have leaked the pages himself.

But he did eliminate the alternative minimum tax for himself, and his family and introduced loop holes for real estate! How nice!