Even before a foreign government eager to curry favor with the White House offered Donald Trump a superluxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet, those concerned with the president and corruption allegations focused their attention on his outlandish meme coin gambit, which has proved to be quite lucrative, which appears to have created influence opportunities that foreigners have reportedly taken advantage of, and which has been fairly described as “the most brazenly corrupt thing a president has ever done.”
It’s against this backdrop that Trump is preparing to leave for the Middle East — his first major foreign trip of his second term — and a reporter asked White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt whether the president intends to meet with the Trump Organization’s business partners in the region. She apparently didn’t care for the line of inquiry.
“I think it’s frankly ridiculous that anyone in this room would even suggest that President Trump is doing anything for his own benefit,” Leavitt argued. “He left a life of luxury and a life of running a very successful real estate empire for public service, not just once but twice.”
Leavitt went on to claim, with a straight face, that Trump “has actually lost money for being president of the United States.”
In response to a question about the meme coin controversy, Trump’s chief spokesperson added that the president “is abiding by all conflict of interest laws” and “has been incredibly transparent with his own personal financial obligations.”
So, a few things.
First, Trump didn’t leave “a life of luxury.” He lives in a presidential mansion, filled with a small army of people who call him “sir” and cater to his every whim, and spends most of his weekends at a glorified country club in Florida, where he’s surrounded by sycophantic supporters who pay handsomely to hang out at a playground for the rich.
Second, Trump oversaw a real estate empire, but to call it “very successful” is, to put mildly, a real stretch.
Third, given the frequency with which Trump has tried to profit off the presidency, I’d love for Leavitt to elaborate on why she considers this line of inquiry to be “ridiculous.”
Fourth, if the White House believes Trump has been “incredibly transparent” with his finances, I have a follow-up question about the tax returns he has fought to keep secret.
Fifth, Leavitt might want people to believe that Trump “is abiding by all conflict of interest laws,” but as she really ought to know, presidents aren’t bound by the most serious conflict of interest laws.
Sixth, the idea that Trump “has actually lost money” while serving as president appears to be at odds with reality.
To be sure, I don’t mean to sound unsympathetic. The president’s many grifts are the stuff of legend, and if I were his press secretary, I’d probably struggle to come up with a persuasive defense, too.
But if Leavitt believes her talking points are going to end the corruption discussion, she’s likely to be disappointed.
