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In a recent newsletter, I argued we need to keep track of Trump’s ethical violations to help us resuscitate a concern for ethics in a post-Trump world, and I listed several types of unethical behavior of greatest concern (see here). I no longer think it is enough to observe and catalogue, nor just prepare to restore our ethical norms at some point in the future. Trump’s rejection and contempt for ethical standards and his increasingly brazen behavior are already doing significant damage to the America we love. I believe that we must stand up now and do everything we can to resist his reckless disregard for basic ethical values and standards. Things have gotten bad faster than we ever thought possible. If other leaders in government, business and elsewhere follow Trump’s lead, America will be permanently transformed into a society run for the benefit of a few rich and powerful. It will be a more coarse and cruel society. It may even lose its hold on democracy, government for the benefit of all. I have come to believe the only way to fight this rapid ethical slide is to criticize and dissent from each of Trump’s unethical actions. I take it as a particular responsibility as an ethicist to voice my concerns strongly, but also to encourage responsible individuals such as you to do the same. We cannot afford to tolerate, to normalize, to allow his behavior to infect American life and transform our democratic system into an autocracy run for the benefit of a few—which I now believe is a serious risk. I ask you to engage your own voice in highlighting and dissenting from each action that violates an essential ethical norm. In today’s newsletter, I address conflict-of-interest ethics standards, one of the core principles of ethical behavior. I believe Trump’s total disregard for mixing his personal and governmental interests has passed from being a typical conflict-of-interest concern to being outright corruption in the Oval Office. Let’s call it what it is and start protesting it by that name. Controlling conflicts of interest is a fundamental ethical obligation in any institution or society. If an official with institutional power (in government, in a company, in any other type of institution) can use their power or ability to make decisions to line their own pockets, two types of damage result. First, the temptation to make decisions that serve the official’s own monetary interests can rob the public of the loyalty of that official to their oath of office. Secondly, even if the official does not make decisions to favor their own interests, the public’s trust in those decisions is corroded, and with it, trust in government itself. The U.S. Constitution, in Article 1, Section 9, recognizes this threat to the government by prohibiting federal officeholders from receiving any gift, payment, or other object or service of value from a foreign state or its rulers, officers, or representatives. It has long been the practice of presidents and most other senior federal officials to rid themselves of anything which might represent a conflict or to put their investments under a blind trust that prevents them from knowing their own financial interest. In Trump’s first term, he did not sever himself from his financial interests in the Trump Organization, but simply promised that his sons who ran the Trump company would refrain from doing new deals with governments or private companies in foreign countries. Trump retained his interest in the Trump International Hotel in Washington which was then frequented by foreign leaders and corporate parties interested in currying favor with his administration. A lawsuit challenging this “emolument” arrangement was finally dismissed after Trump lost the 2020 election. Pressed by a reporter during his first term, Trump responded that nothing is a conflict of interest for him because he is the president. In his second term, Trump has withdrawn his agreement for the Trump Organization not to do deals with private companies in foreign countries. This has led to dozens of deals with tightly held companies, many with government relationships, particularly in the Mideast. It has also not prevented Abu Dhabi sovereign funds from investing $1.2 billion in Binance crypto platform, a transaction which will directly benefit Trump family interests. This is only the tip of the iceberg, however. Just prior to taking his oath of office in January, both Trump and his wife Melania launched so-called “meme-coins,” crypto-tokens bearing their names and likenesses. Individuals, companies and foreign governments may purchase these coins, and a significant portion of the purchase price goes directly into the accounts of Trump and his wife. Further, Trump has offered to host the largest holders of Trump coins at his residence in Florida and even in the White House, thereby promoting sales and spiking the value of the coins. The brazenness of this arrangement is breathtaking. As several commentators have pointed out, one no longer has to reserve a room at the Trump Hotel to put money in his pocket. One only has to buy a pile of Trump coins. One other practice has raised eyebrows significantly. Trump raised hundreds of millions of dollars for inauguration expenses and political purposes, far in excess of his needs. Many of America’s largest companies and investors have contributed, either seeking favors or hopefully insulating themselves against adverse decisions by the Trump administration. Some fear Trump will use the funds to punish any elected official who does not vote for Trump’s initiatives, thereby increasing his power over Congress, supposedly an independent branch of government. Trump has gutted conflict of interest standards for his appointees to senior positions in government, by both weakening the standards they must meet, but also by firing the Inspectors General (IGs) in most federal departments. The unmistakable message to future IG’s is not to press his appointees very hard. Trump has even openly promoted the businesses of his DOGE czar Elon Musk, hosting and attending a Tesla promotion on the White House lawn. Musk’s several companies are also seeking contracts with the federal departments Musk is shrinking, setting up conflicting reactions from department heads. All of this precedes the past week in which his contempt for conflict-of-interest has been on full display. For his first foreign trip, Trump selected countries in the Middle East where his family currently has or is negotiating lucrative deals which could substantially increase his personal wealth when he leaves office. There are few ways to legally challenge his behavior because he is not transparent about his own investments and financial interests, and no governmental body is empowered to challenge the conflicts of interest of the president. Finally, Trump’s decision this week to accept a $400 million luxury jet from the government of Qatar so he can have a more luxurious ride than the current Air Force One, with the jet being transferred to his Presidential Library when he leaves office, proclaims that he can do what he wants whenever he wants. Will the jet even be converted by the end of his term in 2028? What really does Qatar expect in return? Somewhere between his first day in office and today, conflicts-of-interest have become outright corruption. I invite you to find ways to protest this disregard for the fundamental principle of conflict-of-interest. I plan to send this and future newsletters on Trump’s ethical transgressions to my elected officials urging them to publicly protest. I will offer my help to their efforts. As I argued in my earlier newsletter on Trump and ethics, I believe it is possible to separate concern for ethics from policy matters such as tax, immigration and climate policy. I think we can take a bipartisan approach to holding the line on core ethical principles in a free society. What else should I do? What are you going to do?
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