The massive conflicts of interest in Trump's business empire

President Trump and Trump the businessman are inseparable. That's a huge problem.

Who will run the business while he's running the country?
(Image credit: AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Donald Trump will arrive at the White House on Jan. 20, 2017. When he does, a tidal wave of potential conflicts of interest will arrive with him.

The American president wields vast authority over trade policy, economic regulation, and the enforcement of laws governing criminal activity in the business world. Any president with assets or dealings in those realms could potentially make decisions on a daily basis that would affect the value of his businesses, shifting profits and leverage or removing barriers and punishing rivals. While this has certainly been an issue with past presidents Reagan, Clinton, and both Bushes entered office with investments that could've caused awkward problems the sheer amount of partnerships, foreign deals, and pending lawsuits attached to Trump presents a problem unprecedented in American history.

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Jeff Spross

Jeff Spross was the economics and business correspondent at TheWeek.com. He was previously a reporter at ThinkProgress.