Trump Family Made Billions. But is it Illegal?

The news media is giving a lot of negative attention to President Trump’s latest legally required financial disclosure statement. Judging from the reporting you would think that Trump had embezzled the money from an orphan’s fund. Or that he was a key player in the welfare fraud schemes being uncovered across the nation.

What the media reports do not do is determine if Trump has done anything illegal. Most reports dodge that issue – and for good reason. It does not appear that Trump has done anything illegal.

That does not mean that raising all the money – and the manner in which it was raised – is commendable. The tens of millions he raised from royalties on the watches he hawks in television commercials is, to say the least, tacky – boarding on vulgar.

Presidents – and their families – making big money off the presidency is not new. Had he not been President, Obama’s multimillion dollar book sales, and other deals, would not have been worth a trip to Disneyland. President Biden’s family raked in tens of millions of dollars only because he was Vice President and President. His son, Hunter, would not have had e million dollar seat on the Ukraine energy company – and his overpriced paintings would not have been worth a place on the family refrigerator. If it were not for his presidency, Bill and Hillary Clinton would never have made millions of dollars by just appearing at an event or received huge foreign gifts to the Clinton Foundation. And if President Carter had not been in the Oval Office, we never would have had Billy Beer.

Let us face it folks. Modern day politics is a huge money generator. The more prominent the office, the greater the take. Even socialist Senator Bernie Sanders – who rails against the so-called “one percenter” — is a multimillion, a one percenter. And he acquired all those homes and fancy cars that serve in Congress. If he were not in the Senate – and a one-time presidential candite – would not have those lucrative book deals and those high honoraria for speaking engagement. Without once having been House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi would not have had all that insider information from which she and her husband made millions upon millions of dollars.

While we can concede that personal enrichment is a key component of politics, we can also concede that no past President has engaged in the game as effectively as Trump and his family.

The criticism being heaped on Trump is not because he has done anything illegal. No doubt, he has broken traditions and norms – but that has been Trump’s modus operandi since he came down the escalator as presidential candidate more than ten years ago.

Let me be perfectly clear. I strongly disapprove of Trump’s obsession with wealth — and the lengths he goes to gain wealth. I wince every time I see Trump peddling those watches on television. It is crass. It is unseemly. It betrays greediness. It is not what we like to see in our presidents.

On the other hand, the media attention being given to Trump’s finances is excessive and overly negative. CNN’s Jake Tapper spent an entire half-hour segment a condemnatory soliloquy of Trump’s finances. While Tapper was myopically focusing on Trump’s finances, Russia was bombing Kiev, Iran was firing missiles, thousands were dying in the Venezuelan earthquake, the United States was winning soccer games and hardcore left-wing socialists were taking over the Democratic Party.

Yes, Trump’s recent financial disclosure was newsworthy, but the excessive coverage and the hyperbolic negative spin are largely due to two things. First and foremost is the hatred that has resulted in Trump Derangement Syndrome. TDS has corrupted the media.

The second reason for the attacks on Trump is class warfare. In attacking Trump’s wealth, those on the left are pandering to a presumed jealousy we common folks have for the wealthy. Class warfare is part of the Democratic Party playbook.

Trump’s critics compare his economic situation to those of average Americans. That is a false comparison – and they surely know it. Trump’s wealth and my economic condition are not connected in any way.

One of America’s most enduring promises is the ability of any to achieve great success – fame and fortune. Those on the left do not believe in that except for themselves. They amass wealth for themselves but condemn the average citizens to an equality of mutual deprivation.

Like most Americans, I would like to see Trump conduct himself with more dignit and be less pugnacious – but that is not in his DNA. But that does not mean the answer is total divisive and derisive resistance.

As long as nothing is illegal, this writer is not bothered by Trump’s wealth – or that of any of the past presidents. I am bothered more by his inability to bring the Iran conflict to a successful conclusion. I am upset more by his lack of support for Ukraine. I am concerned more by a sluggish economy. Conversely, I am more interested in immigration, sanctuary cities, crime, men in women’s sports, DEI hiring, and the administrative state in Washington – to name a few.

Unless Trump has broken laws – and not just traditions and norms – the increase in his wealth is a newsworthy footnote – a one-day story — but not the cudgel used by hypocritical Democrats and their media cronies.

So, there ‘tis.