Trump just called the Constitution’s emoluments clause ‘phony’

Who cares about emoluments? Not President Trump, that’s for sure.

During a Cabinet meeting Monday, Trump defended his now-reversed decision to host the 2020 Group of Seven Summit at the Trump National Doral Miami resort. While on a tangent, the president hand-waved the Emoluments Clause, which prohibits the federal government from receiving gifts or titles from foreign states without the consent of Congress. Trump described it as “phony,” making it unclear if he’s aware that it’s in the Constitution of the United States.

President Trump at the White House lashed out at having to reverse himself on the G7 being at Trump Doral.

He said: “You people with this phony Emoluments Clause."

Note: The emoluments clause is a provision of the U.S. Constitution (Article I, Section 9, Paragraph 8).

— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) October 21, 2019

He also reportedly argued he wouldn’t have profited off the summit, world leaders deserved the best hospitality possible, and other presidents “ran their businesses” while in office, which actually hasn’t been the case since former President Andrew Johnson left office.

Trump kept saying in cabinet meeting that "George Washington ran his business" while in office. (His business was a plantation with slave labor, for the record.)

— Ginger Gibson (@GingerGibson) October 21, 2019

[The Week]