Trump tweets he is not mandated by law to divest of his businesses.....true??? No???

[dixiegrrrrl]

Here are the tweets:

I will be holding a major news conference in New York City with my children on December 15 to discuss the fact that I will be leaving my
great business in total in order to fully focus on running the country in order to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
While I am not mandated to do this under the law, I feel it is visually important, as President, to in no way have a conflict of interest with my various businesses.
Hence, legal documents are being crafted which take me completely out of business operations. The Presidency is a far more important task!

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump

[etherealtruth]

1. My understanding is that he is technically right

It would be unethical not to do so .... and if he abused his power to benefit his business it would be illegal ... but my understanding is (like a stopped clock) tRump is technically right

[madokie]

2. In a lot of ways the cretin is dumb as a box of hammers

and as scary too boot

[pipoman]

3. Pretty sure he isn't required by law...the President was never meant to be a career politician

With no business interests....

[pangaia]

4. Oh, he just sounds SO sincere! FUCK YOU asshole...

[ismnotwasm]

5. Dear God--Twitter press conferences--I can see it now

[drray23]

6. Not exactly correct.

The laws regarding conflicts of interests indeed do not apply to the president and vice president. The emolument clause in the constitution does. He woyuld definitely violate the constitution which is, in a way worse than breaking a law.

[onecaliberal]

7. The Constitution is clear.

The emolument clause definitely does prohibit him from using the office to enrich himself.

[pipoman]

8. And therein lies the rub...

Trump has a lot of money and business successes and failures coming into office. This would have to be pretty obviously conflict. Most living presidents will not want to compare incoming net worth with outgoing net worth....

[Statistical]

9. The Constitution prohibits the President from receiving any funds from foreign entities.

Pretty much impossible to own or operate an international business without receiving foreign funds. This Constitutional protection was put in to ensure the President wouldn't become a puppet of a foreign government. At the time of its writing the founders were more worried about puppet of England than puppet of Russia.