So even the Morning Joe crew was shocked by the outright bribe that landed $500 million from China into the pockets of a Trump project in Indonesia.
FILL THAT SWAMP!
The loans will help a Chinese state-owned construction company build a theme park with a Trump-branded golf course and hotels. Trump's tweet to help out ZTE came a few days after the Chinese government agreed to provide half of the funding.
Here's the White House press briefing from yesterday.
REPORTER: Can you tell or you know, explain the administration's perspective on A, how this wouldn't violate the emoluments clause and B, how it wouldn't violate the president's own promise that his private organization would not be getting involved in new foreign deals while he was president?
SHAH: I'll have to refer you to the Trump organization.
REPORTER: The Trump organization can't speak on the half of the president as the president, the head of the federal government, the one who is responsible and who needs to assure the American people --
SHAH: You're asking about a private organization's dealing that may have to deal with a foreign government. It's not something I can speak to.
Yes, this deal stinks to high heaven. Joe and Mika can laugh, but it's nervous laughter. They do know it's a really bad sign that the president of the United States is taking bribes to influence foreign policy.
