WHAT OTHERS SAY

TRADE IS IN TURMOIL

President Donald Trump Deines HIMSELF By THE people who surround him, especially the top advisers he picks to run his administration — people he described in early 2016 as “the best and most serious people” and “top of the line professionals.” When it comes to pronouncing on their ability to abide by the law and remain corruption-free, however, Trump falls eerily silent or resorts to blaming the scandals plaguing his administration on “fake news.” Norman Ornstein of the conservative American Enterprise Institute in March described the administration as a “contingent of corrupt kleptocrats.” Two of his Cabinet members have been forced out amid corruption scandals. A third, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, has a history of ethical lapses and potential criminal behaviour deserving of deeper congressional investigation, if not a swift boot out the door by Trump himself. A recent report by Forbes magazine outlined levels of corporate malfeasance by Ross that should have disqualified him from the start. HIS senate confirmation hearings should have opened with questioning about the lie by Ross that he was worth $2 billion when, in fact, his worth is in the range of only $700 million. Forbes reporter Dan Alexander has spent months investigating the secretary’s background. Ross has allegedly stolen from his business partners, prompting multiple lawsuits and even litigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The total amount Ross’ company is alleged to have pilfered from various individuals exceeds $120 million. St. Louis Post-dispatch