When He Becomes President, Trump ‘Could Clear Them Himself’
Donald Trump’s attorney has gone on record saying the president-elect’s three adult children will be running all of Trump’s businesses in what Trump is calling a “blind trust,” even though, by definition, that is not a blind trust.Â
Late last week many analysts expressed concern over that arrangement, which was then compounded when it Trump announced that his three adult children – Donald Jr., Eric, and Ivanka – along with Jared Kushner, Ivanka’s husband who also publishes The New York Observer, would be part of the Trump administration’s transition team. The transition team is responsible for hiring decisions of the estimated 4000 people that comprise the White House team, including 1000 who will require congressional approval. The transition team is also responsible for establishing policy initiatives and even strategy.
So despite the huge conflict of interest with the president-elect’s children running his international real estate empire, and now working on his transition team, NBC News reports that President-elect Trump has now “asked about” security clearances for his three children.
MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, citing NBC News Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent Andrea Mitchell, posted a tweet stating “NBC News confirms Trump has asked abt security clearances for his kids.” Maddow notes that after the inaugural, “he could clear them himself.”
And CNN’s Wolf Blitzer went even further, stating Trump has requested security clearances for his three children, and for Jared Kushner.Â
Not only is it likely that Trump will not wholly divorce himself from running his business empire – he plans on staying in Trump Tower a few nights a week, and traveling to Mar-a-Lago on weekends, so he’ll be at the nexus of his empire several days each week – his children, who will be running his businesses for him, will be privy to state secrets and national security information – information they could use to benefit The Trump Organization. And in turn, smart foreign agents could discern America’s secrets by moves Trump businesses make.
UPDATE:
Via The Daily Beast:
“CBS’s Julianne Goldman reports that Trump’s adult children would run his business and work as unpaid national security advisors, to skirt nepotism rules. Their suggested dual roles would invite an unprecedented conflict of interests.”
UPDATE II:
“Top Secret Security Clearances“:
Here’s how some responded on Twitter:
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