cover of episode Trump’s new businesses — and new potential conflicts of interest

Trump’s new businesses — and new potential conflicts of interest

2024/12/17
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Post Reports
People
D
Donald Trump
批评CHIPS Act，倡导使用关税而非补贴来促进美国国内芯片制造。
E
Elahe Izadi
J
Jonathan O'Connell
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Narrator
一位专注于电动车和能源领域的播客主持人和内容创作者。
Topics
Donald Trump: 特朗普承诺如果当选，他将成为美国需要的支持创新和支持比特币的总统。他还表示，如果美国不这样做，中国和其他国家将会涉足加密货币领域。 Jonathan O'Connell: 特朗普的新的商业利益，特别是Truth Social和World Liberty Financial，带来了前所未有的利益冲突风险。由于政府将开始以新的方式监管这些公司，而特朗普作为总统将参与制定这些行业的政策，这引发了人们对特朗普可能利用总统职位谋取私利的担忧。此外，他还提到了特朗普第一任期内处理利益冲突的混乱局面，以及由此引发的诉讼、刑事调查和新闻报道。 Elahe Izadi: 她提出了关于总统利益冲突责任和历史先例的问题。她指出，与其他政府雇员相比，总统几乎不受利益冲突规定的约束。她还讨论了特朗普的Truth Social和World Liberty Financial公司，以及这些公司如何给他带来巨额财富，以及这些公司如何可能因他的总统行为而受益。 Narrator: 旁白介绍了特朗普新的商业利益，以及这些利益可能导致的利益冲突。旁白还总结了采访中讨论的主要观点，并提到了特朗普第一任期内处理利益冲突的混乱局面。 Jonathan O'Connell: 特朗普在第一任期开始时辞去了所有业务职务，但他并没有设立盲目信托，而是设立了一个由他的儿子和首席财务官控制的信托基金。尽管他做出了其他一些承诺，例如不与儿子讨论业务，以及不与外国政府达成新的交易，但他的第一任期仍然充满了利益冲突的争议。例如，政府为特勤局人员在特朗普的酒店住宿支付了高额费用，外国政府也为讨好特朗普而入住其酒店。此外，关于总统利益冲突的条款（Emoluments Clause）对特朗普的行为影响很小，没有法院裁决迫使他改变行为。 Elahe Izadi: 她探讨了公众对特朗普利益冲突的关注程度，以及公众舆论和立法者如何影响特朗普的行为。她指出，尽管存在许多关于特朗普如何利用总统职位来为自己谋利的诉讼和国会听证会，但公众是否会在这次选举中再次关注这些问题仍然是一个疑问。 Narrator: 旁白总结了采访的主要内容，并提到了一个最新的相关新闻：众议院共和党人将在特朗普的Doral度假村举行年度休会，这将给该度假村带来巨额收入。

Deep Dive

Key Insights

Why did Trump launch Truth Social?

Trump created Truth Social after being banned from major social media platforms, particularly following the January 6th riot, as he wanted his own platform to reach his supporters.

What is the value of Trump's stake in Truth Social?

Trump's stake in Truth Social, through Trump Media and Technology Group, is valued at over $4 billion, making it his most valuable asset compared to his real estate and golf courses.

How does Trump's involvement in crypto pose a conflict of interest?

Trump's crypto venture, World Liberty Financial, could benefit from potential loosening of regulations under his administration, leading to increased value of all crypto, including his own coin.

What steps did Trump take to distance himself from his businesses during his first term?

Trump resigned from his businesses and placed his assets into a trust controlled by his sons and a CFO, though he did not create a traditional blind trust. He also committed to no new foreign deals and donating foreign government profits to the U.S. Treasury.

How did Trump's hotel in Washington benefit during his first term?

Trump's Washington hotel saw numerous foreign leaders, CEOs, and lobbyists staying there, potentially due to his presidency, though the hotel reportedly lost money operationally due to limited appeal beyond his supporters.

What is the significance of the Emoluments Clause in relation to Trump's businesses?

The Emoluments Clause, which prohibits the president from receiving gifts from foreign governments, was the subject of multiple lawsuits during Trump's first term, though it had little tangible effect on his behavior.

What is the potential impact of public opinion on Trump's handling of conflicts of interest in his second term?

Public opinion and potential backlash from legislators could influence Trump's decisions regarding his businesses, as seen when he reversed plans to host the G7 summit at his Doral Resort due to significant criticism.

Why are bi-week weddings becoming popular among college football fans?

Bi-week weddings are popular among college football fans because they avoid game days, ensuring more guests can attend without being distracted by football games, especially in the SEC where idle weeks are highly sought after.

Shownotes Transcript

Since he last held office, President-elect Donald Trump’s business interests have evolved. The real estate mogul launched the social media company Truth Social, and — in the height of this year’s presidential campaign — he announced a cryptocurrency venture, World Liberty Financial. 

Both of these industries could be targeted with efforts at regulation during Trump’s second term. So what could it mean for Trump to oversee an administration that also plays a role in these regulations? This dynamic sets up what ethics experts have described as unprecedented potential conflicts of interest for his second term.

“Post Reports” host Elahe Izadi speaks with investigative reporter Jonathan O’Connell about how Trump became involved in these new businesses, what potential conflicts of interest they present, and what we might learn from how Trump approached potential conflicts in his first term.  

Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff with help from Ariel Plotnick. It was edited by Alison MacAdam and Reena Flores and mixed by Sam Bair. 

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