It turns out there’s probably a different reason that President Donald Trump wants the Commerce Department to let Chinese telecom ZTE do business with American companies again: 500 million reasons, actually, that make it look like China bribed him.
Earlier this week, Trump demanded his own Commerce Department look at lifting the seven-year ban slapped against ZTE for selling U.S. technology to Iran and North Korea.
The FBI, CIA, and NSA have all openly accused the Chinese government of using U.S. technology from ZTE to spy on us.
President Xi of China, and I, are working together to give massive Chinese phone company, ZTE, a way to get back into business, fast. Too many jobs in China lost. Commerce Department has been instructed to get it done!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 13, 2018
China and the United States are working well together on trade, but past negotiations have been so one sided in favor of China, for so many years, that it is hard for them to make a deal that benefits both countries. But be cool, it will all work out!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 13, 2018
ZTE, the large Chinese phone company, buys a big percentage of individual parts from U.S. companies. This is also reflective of the larger trade deal we are negotiating with China and my personal relationship with President Xi.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 14, 2018
Trump is claiming that this is all about the economy, but it’s highly likely that it’s really all about trading our national security for what looks for all the world to be a $500 million bribe.
You see, just days before Trump decided to abandon his “America First” agenda and suddenly started fretting about Chinese jobs, the Chinese government invested $500 million in a Trump property located in Indonesia. That property includes a theme park, hotels, and a golf course that will have Trump’s name on them.
After that, Trump let ZTE off the hook, which makes it look like he had no problem scratching China’s back giving the Chinese company the ability to resume selling American technology to our enemies and letting the Chinese government use it to spy on us.
It looks like Trump literally sold-out our national security for his own personal profit.
Of course, when asked about the bribe during a press briefing on Monday, the White House referred questions to the Trump Organization.
The Constitution expressly forbids these kinds of quid pro quos under the Emoluments Clause.
A foreign government can’t just cut a huge check to a property owned by the president in exchange for something in return, which is almost certainly what happened here. The timing is suspicious. And make no mistake, Trump does own it since he refused to divest himself of his businesses.
Former Obama White House ethics chief Norm Eisen agrees.
This is a violation of the Emoluments Clause. A big one. See you in court Mr. Trump https://t.co/JuSmCYChyh
— Norm Eisen (@NormEisen) May 14, 2018
China just demonstrated that Trump could be easily bought and that’s a serious threat to our national security. Trump didn’t put America first. He put himself first.
Featured Image By U.S. Embassy Canberra Via Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain.
