Trump's novel corruption defense: I do it in plain sight

In the midst of an impeachment inquiry looking into his corruption, the president is doubling down on his corrupt behavior

President Trump.
(Image credit: Illustrated | Stephen Maturen/Getty Images, subjob/iStock)

President Donald Trump's defensive strategy against charges of corruption and self-dealing — which led to the impeachment inquiry — is both novel and incredibly hubristic, even for Trump. The president seems to believe that the best way to overcome charges of corruption and push back against criticism of his unscrupulous conduct is to commit even more blatant acts of corruption, as if doing it right out in the open makes it legal and morally defensible. It couldn't possibly be corrupt or criminal, the reasoning seems to be, when it is carried out in plain sight.

We saw the clearest example of this strategy yet on Thursday, when the Trump administration announced it had chosen one of the president's own resorts to host next year's G7 meeting. The same day acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney acknowledged that Trump "held up" the nearly $400 million in previously appropriated military aid to Ukraine in order to pressure the government into investigating his political opponent — essentially admitting to quid pro quo — he revealed to an astonished press that the 2020 G7 conference would be held at the Trump Doral golf resort in Miami.

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Conor Lynch

Conor Lynch is a freelance journalist living in New York City. He has written for The New Republic, Salon, and Alternet.