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A massive Trump scandal. Minuscule media attention. -- Popular Information
https://popular.info/p/the-medias-towering-double-standardJudd Legum and Noel Sims
Historically, financial entanglements with foreign nationals has been covered as a scandal. Times have changed.
For decades, any suggestion of financial entanglements between a U.S. president or presidential candidate and foreign nationals has been considered a scandal. A financial relationship with foreign nationals, however attenuated, undercuts the principle that a president should be exclusively focused on the best interests of the American people. Historically, major media outlets have provided extensive coverage of the issue.
In the 1990s, "Chinagate" involved funneling several hundred thousand dollars from Chinese sources to former President Bill Clinton's reelection campaign and the Democratic Party. The controversy prompted an avalanche of coverage, even though there was no proof that Clinton or former Vice President Al Gore were even aware of the illicit influence campaign. The 2016 presidential campaign featured voluminous media coverage about donations to the Clinton Foundation by foreign nationals and the potential conflict those donations created for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. The donations were covered as a scandal, even though the money was used for charitable purposes. More recently, there has been extensive coverage of Hunter Biden's foreign business dealings, despite the fact that Hunter Biden was not a government official and former President Joe Biden did not personally benefit.
All of these stories had legitimate legal and ethical implications that merited news coverage. But today, President Trump is engaged in far more direct financial relationships with foreign nationals. Major media outlets are showing little to no interest.
On Friday, for example, the Trump Organization — an organization owned by Trump — announced that it would be building Trump Tower Bucharest. The project "will be developed in the heart of Romania’s capital, one of Europe’s most vibrant and dynamic emerging markets, bringing premium residences under the Trump brand to the region." The Trump Organization will be partnering with "SDC Imobiliare, one of Romania’s leading luxury real estate developers."
So, a company owned by Trump is now engaged in an extensive economic relationship with a Romanian developer. The details of the arrangement are undisclosed but generally involve the development partner, in this case SDC Imobiliare, paying millions in licensing fees to the Trump Organization. (Shortly before taking office, Trump transferred the Trump Organization to a revocable trust, but the move has no practical impact. His son Donald Trump Jr. is the sole trustee.)
. . .
In the 1990s, "Chinagate" involved funneling several hundred thousand dollars from Chinese sources to former President Bill Clinton's reelection campaign and the Democratic Party. The controversy prompted an avalanche of coverage, even though there was no proof that Clinton or former Vice President Al Gore were even aware of the illicit influence campaign. The 2016 presidential campaign featured voluminous media coverage about donations to the Clinton Foundation by foreign nationals and the potential conflict those donations created for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. The donations were covered as a scandal, even though the money was used for charitable purposes. More recently, there has been extensive coverage of Hunter Biden's foreign business dealings, despite the fact that Hunter Biden was not a government official and former President Joe Biden did not personally benefit.
All of these stories had legitimate legal and ethical implications that merited news coverage. But today, President Trump is engaged in far more direct financial relationships with foreign nationals. Major media outlets are showing little to no interest.
On Friday, for example, the Trump Organization — an organization owned by Trump — announced that it would be building Trump Tower Bucharest. The project "will be developed in the heart of Romania’s capital, one of Europe’s most vibrant and dynamic emerging markets, bringing premium residences under the Trump brand to the region." The Trump Organization will be partnering with "SDC Imobiliare, one of Romania’s leading luxury real estate developers."
So, a company owned by Trump is now engaged in an extensive economic relationship with a Romanian developer. The details of the arrangement are undisclosed but generally involve the development partner, in this case SDC Imobiliare, paying millions in licensing fees to the Trump Organization. (Shortly before taking office, Trump transferred the Trump Organization to a revocable trust, but the move has no practical impact. His son Donald Trump Jr. is the sole trustee.)
. . .
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