President Donald Trump delivered a vitriolic stemwinder at a speech in front of 300 supporters at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, according to a report by Politico.
The 30 minute speech, which was the first fundraiser of Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign, took shots at the media (particularly CNN), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Democratic congressional candidate Jon Ossoff. The president also bragged about his accomplishments, such as passing deregulatory measures, even though his administration has been humiliated by recent weeks by failing to pass immigration restrictions and a repeal of the Affordable Care Act.
Norm Eisen, who served as President Barack Obama’s Special Counsel for Ethics and Government Reform and co-founded Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), took to Twitter to express dismay at the fact that Trump used one of his own hotels as the venue for the speech.
1/ Trump Hotel fundraiser is illegal. His benefitting from leasing this US property violates the domestic emoluments clause of US Const.
— Norm Eisen (#TryingTrump out now!) (@NormEisen) June 29, 2017
2/ And the government's refusal to enforce hotel lease term which prohibits him from operating hotel ALSO makes 2nite an illegal emolument
— Norm Eisen (#TryingTrump out now!) (@NormEisen) June 29, 2017
3/ So anytime he profits from the hotel, as he is doing tonight, he is violating the domestic emoluments clause.
— Norm Eisen (#TryingTrump out now!) (@NormEisen) June 29, 2017
4/ Trump monetizes his office constantly. But tonight a new low: he's collecting cash from being president, from hotel, &from his party.
— Norm Eisen (#TryingTrump out now!) (@NormEisen) June 29, 2017
5/5 All in violation of the constitution. Maybe that's why he yanked the press pool at the last minute? Well WE SEE YOU — in court that is
— Norm Eisen (#TryingTrump out now!) (@NormEisen) June 29, 2017
Eisen has been an outspoken critic of Trump’s numerous conflicts of interest. When discussing this matter with the Washington Post, Eisen pointed out that “Trump is the framers’ worst-case scenario. A president who would seize office and attempt to exploit his position for personal financial gain with every governmental entity imaginable, across the United States or around the world.”
Eisen also spoke with Salon earlier this month and expressed concern about a chain of patriotic-themed three star hotels that the Trumps plan on creating, which is problematic because Trump has yet to fully divest himself from his business empire.
“It raises constitutional questions because the domestic emoluments clause doesn’t permit a president to receive any compensation from the states over and above his federal salary,” Eisen said. “Well, here, these hotels are going to be receiving all kinds of benefits; discretionary permits, tax breaks, subsidies.”
