Sen. Elizabeth Warren is sounding the alarm that Donald Trump and his administration-in-waiting already appear to be engaging in corruption.
And there’s ample reason for her to be concerned.
In 2020, Warren released a report on alleged corruption in Trump’s first administration. And the Massachusetts Democrat has cause for concern that the president-elect and his associates could be even more shameless in his self-dealing this time around.
Writing on X on Monday, the senator raised concerns about reports that Team Trump had been lagging in signing required transition agreements, which include ethics safeguards. (The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to MSNBC’s request for comment.)
“Donald Trump and his transition team are already breaking the law,” she wrote.
“I would know because I wrote the law.
Incoming presidents are required to prevent conflicts of interest and sign an ethics agreement.
This is what illegal corruption looks like.”
Donald Trump and his transition team are already breaking the law.
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) November 11, 2024
I would know because I wrote the law.
Incoming presidents are required to prevent conflicts of interest and sign an ethics agreement.
This is what illegal corruption looks like. https://t.co/JJjJ59DgB5
Trump’s businesses reportedly raked in more than $2 billion during his first presidency, according to a Forbes analysis of financial records, with much of it coming from his golf clubs and resorts, where his guests often included foreign dignitaries. And earlier this year, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., released a report finding that Trump’s businesses had received at least $7.8 million from 20 foreign governments while in the White House.
All this to say: Donald Trump is a living, breathing conflict of interest.
On top of that, Donald Trump Jr. recently announced that he’ll forgo a job in the administration to work at a venture capital firm that opposes ESG investing, a practice of environmentally and socially conscious business investment that conservatives loathe. Theoretically, if a Trump administration cracks down on ESG investing, as Project 2025 seeks to do, firms like the one that Trump’s son is joining could reap benefits.
All this to say: Donald Trump is a living, breathing conflict of interest, and potentially ripe for manipulation by anyone willing to ply him — or his family — with cash. Warren’s concerns seem entirely justified.
Ja’han Jones is an MS NOW opinion blogger. He previously wrote The ReidOut Blog.