Trump Is Getting Even Richer. Is That a Crime?

Donald Trump’s unprecedented integration of personal business interests with the presidency raises significant constitutional and ethical concerns regarding potential kleptocracy. Jack Goldsmith, a Harvard Law School professor and former White House Office of Legal Counsel official, highlights how Trump’s sprawling, opaque business empire—particularly recent crypto-related ventures involving foreign entities like the UAE—creates risks of policy distortion. While traditional conflict-of-interest norms have been largely abandoned, the lack of clear legal prohibitions, such as the difficulty in proving bribery or specific violations of the Foreign Emoluments Clause, complicates accountability. Furthermore, the spiraling "tit-for-tat" weaponization of government institutions by both political parties threatens long-term institutional stability. Ultimately, the burden of addressing these systemic risks rests with the American electorate, as existing legal and bureaucratic checks have proven insufficient to curb the influence of presidential financial self-interest on national security and governance.