China meeting spotlights president’s ethics swamp

“America First,” or America for sale? That’s the question that must be asked as President Trump prepares to host Chinese President Xi Jinping in Florida this week at his private club.

Ethics lawyers, governance experts and members of Congress have warned that Trump is violating the Constitution by refusing to divest his business interests. Our Founding Fathers included a clause that forbids the president and other federal officials from receiving profits from foreign governments.

A recent decision by China to grant Trump’s businesses nearly 40 valuable trademarks — after more than a decade of attempts — is the clearest sign yet that foreign governments can and will seek to curry financial favor with the U. S. president and his family. His actions have created a crisis for our democracy.

Our trade relationship with China has enormous consequences for both American workers and the price of products Americans buy. The American people have a right to know whether the president’s decisionmaking is being conducted in their public interest or in his private financial interest.

He has made abrupt policy changes toward China lately. In February, he switched his stance on the key issue of Taiwan’s status — in favor of China’s preferred policy. When asked about the switch, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said that when Trump negotiates, “the president always gets something.”

The problem is that while it is clear China got something, the administration has refused to tell us what America got in return. The American people deserve to know whether the lucrative Trump family businesses are the beneficiaries.

It was also revealed that the real estate business owned by the Kushner family, including presidential son- in- law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, tried to strike a $ 400 million deal with an enterprise with links to the Chinese government. The deal was belatedly called off when it became public and faced scrutiny.

But the Kushner- China negotiations again underscore the need for Trump and his family to create clear, ethical boundaries. That Jared Kushner hosted the CEO of the Chinese business in question for a lavish dinner the week after the election, as he sought to close the deal, only added to the appearance of impropriety.

Despite Trump’s promise to drain the swamp, his dealings with China have the appearance of a rising, dark water of foreign influence and corruption. By not divesting his business interests, Trump continues to cheapen the office of the presidency by mixing his public duties and his private business interests.

It is imperative that American interests and values guide the president’s policies in dealing with Beijing — and nothing else. America’s security and prosperity depend on it. With President Xi’s imminent arrival in Florida, it is time for President Trump to act and divest his business interests.