FROM THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
THE GENERAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN IS
IN FULL SWING AND, YES, THE
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN LOOKS VERY
DIFFERENT DURING A GLOBAL
PANDEMIC.
THERE ARE FAR FEWER RALLIES TO
FLY THROUGH, LESS BUNTING TO PAY
FOR, BUT PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS
DO STILL COST MONEY AND THE
RECEIPTS FROM THIS CAMPAIGN ARE
STARTING TO POUR IN. CHECK THIS
OUT FROM "WASHINGTON POST"
REPORTER.
THIS IS A LIST OF EXPENSES MADE
BY THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN OVER A
TWO-DAY PERIOD EARLIER IN THE
YEAR.
THERE ARE 43 SEPARATE CHARGES,
EACH FOR A VARYING AMOUNT
BETWEEN $2,000 AND $10,000, BUT
EACH OF THESE TRANSACTIONS HAS
SOMETHING IN COMMON.
THEY WERE ALL MADE DIRECTLY TO
THE PRESIDENT’S PERSONAL
BUSINESS.
LISTED HERE AS PAYMENTS TO THE
TRUMP HOTEL COLLECTION.
WHEN YOU ADD THEM ALL UP IT
SHOWS THAT THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN
POURED $380,000 DIRECTLY INTO
THE PRESIDENT’S POCKET JUST OVER
A TWO-DAY SPAN.
THE TRUMP ORGANIZATION TOLD
DAVID FAHRENTHOLD ALL OF THE
MONEY WAS FOR A WEEK-LONG DONOR
RETREAT HELD IN MAR-A-LAGO IN
EARLY MARCH, WHICH I SUPPOSE IS
ONE WAY TO LOOK AT THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN POURING HUNDREDS OF
THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS INTO THE
PRESIDENT’S PERSONAL BUSINESSES.
DAVID FAHRENTHOLD OFFERS ANOTHER
WAY TO LOOK AT IT, CALLING THOSE
CAMPAIGN DONATIONS TURNED INTO
PRIVATE REVENUE NOR THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
JOINING US NOW IS DAVID
FAHRENTHOLD FROM "THE WASHINGTON
POST".
HE WON PULITZER PRIZE FOR
REPORTING.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
WHENEVER YOU BREAK SOMETHING NEW
ABOUT THE MONEY, I KNOW IT WILL
BE SOMETHING WE WATCH FROM THIS
POINT FORWARD.
TELL ME WHAT YOU ARE WATCHING
FROM THIS POINT FORWARD AND HOW
THE PRESIDENT AND HIS KIDS, AND
THEY REALLY HAD A BODY POSTURE
OF, OH, NOTHING TO SEE HERE WHEN
PEOPLE WORRIED ABOUT THE
EMOLUMENT’S CASE AND WORRIED
ABOUT POLITICAL PATRONS AND
PEOPLE TRYING TO CURRY FAVOR
GOING TO THE HOTELS.
IT IS CLEAR NOW THAT THEY HAVE
OPERATIONALIZED THAT, AT LEAST
AT THE CAMPAIGN.
>> THAT’S RIGHT.
ONE KEY PROMISE THAT TRUMP MADE
WHEN HE WAS RUNNING FOR
PRESIDENT AND AFTER HE HAD WON
WAS THAT HE WOULD SEPARATE
HIMSELF FROM HIS BUSINESS.
HE WOULDN’T WORK THERE, HE
WOULDN’T TELL THEM WHAT TO DO
AND HE WOULD NOT PROFIT FROM THE
PRESIDENCY.
WHAT WE’RE SEEING NOW IS THEY’VE
JUST THROWN THAT LAST BIT OUT
THE WINDOW AND THEY ARE USING
THE PRESIDENCY AND HIS CONTROL
OVER GOVERNMENT MONEY AND OVER
CAMPAIGN MONEY TO PUT MILLIONS
OF DOLLARS INTO THE POCKETS OF
DONALD TRUMP HIMSELF.
THIS IS ONE YOU CITED WAS A GOOD
EXAMPLE OF HOW CAMPAIGN MONEY IS
USED IN THAT WAY.
TRUMP HOLDS A LOT OF CAMPAIGN
EVENTS AT HIS PROPERTIES, HE
SETS THE RATES HIS PROPERTIES
CHARGE THE CAMPAIGN AND THE
DONOR MONEY BECOMES PRIVATE
MONEY.
WHEN TRUMP GOES TO PRIVATE
PROPERTIES, GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
COME ALONG AND TRUMP CHARGES THE
GOVERNMENT AS MUCH AS HE WANTS.
IN SOME CASES AT LEAST $970,000
WE KNOW OF
THESE ARE BOTH THINGS HE
CONTROLS WHERE HE TURNS SOMEONE
ELSE’S MONEY INTO HIS MONEY.
>> DAVID, HOW ARE THE LAWS SO
POROUS THAT THIS WASN’T STOPPED
IMMEDIATELY?
I WORKED IN THE WHITE HOUSE.
THE ETHICS LAWS WERE TO
STRINGENT.
HOW IS HE ENRICHING HIMSELF FROM
THE TAXPAYER AND POLITICAL
DONORS?
>> THERE IS A LOT OF ETHIC LAWS,
BUT THEY DON’T DEFINE THE
PRESIDENT OR THE VICE PRESIDENT
ON THE THEORY THAT PRESIDENTS
AND VICE PRESIDENTS SHOULD HAVE
MORE FREEDOM.
THEY’RE CHOSEN BY THE VOTERS.
IT IS AN HONOR SYSTEM, AND TRUMP
HAS ALWAYS LOOKED AT HONOR
SYSTEMS, WHETHER IT WAS A
CHARITABLE HONOR SYSTEM, A
BUSINESS HONOR SYSTEM AS A
MOMENT OF OPPORTUNITY.
OTHER PEOPLE PLAY BY THE RULES
BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO OR THINK
THEY IT IS EXPECTED OF THEM.
HE BREAKS THE RULES AND
EXPECTING SOMEBODY TO COME AFTER
THEM.
THIS IS A CASE WHERE THE
PRESIDENT DOESN’T HAVE TO FOLLOW
THE RULES EVERYBODY ELSE DOES.
PRESIDENTS ALWAYS DID BECAUSE
THEY WERE AFRAID OF WHAT IT
LOOKED LIKE.
TRUMP IS EXPLOITING THAT LOOP
HIGH SCHOOL.
>> I HAVE TO GET YOU ON THE
RECORD ON THE PRESIDENT POSING
WITH A CAN OF BLACK BEANS THIS
WEEK, THE GOYA ERA.
>> WELL, AGAIN, THESE ARE RULES
THAT DON’T APPLY TO THE
PRESIDENT.
NORMALLY WHITE HOUSE OFFICIALS
ARE PROHIBITED FROM USING THEIR
POSITION TO ADVERTISE ANY SORT
OF PRODUCT, BEANS OR ANYTHING
ELSE.
ONE THING THAT STRUCK ME ABOUT
TRUMP’S POSE WITH A GIANT CAN OF
BEANS IS THAT HE HAS GONE DOWN
THESE RABBIT HOLES WHERE UNLESS
YOU WATCH FOX NEWS NINE HOURS A
DAY, YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT HE’S
TALKING ABOUT, SO YOU JUST SEE
THIS THING OUT OF CONTEXT.
THE PRESIDENT WITH LIKE SEVEN
CANS OF BEANS.
AND YOU SAY WHAT IS THIS?
IF YOU LOOK BACK IN 2016, THAT’S
NOT WHAT HE WAS LIKE.
HE WAS GOOD AT SPEAKING TO
EVERYBODY.
NOW YOU REALLY HAVE TO BE A
DEDICATED FOX VIEWER TO EVEN
UNDERSTAND IT.
>> YOU JUST HIT YOUR -- YOU JUST
PUT YOUR FINGER ON THE ENTIRE
CONVERSATION WE SHOULD BE HAVING
EVERY DAY.
THIS IS NOT WHAT HE WAS LIKE
FOUR YEARS AGO.
IF YOU PAIR THAT PICTURE WITH
THE BEANS, WITH THE ROSE GARDEN
EVENT THIS WEEK, THAT IS
CERTAINLY NOT WHAT HE SOUNDED
LIKE.
DAVID, IT IS ALWAYS A PLEASURE
TO GET TO TALK TO YOU AND TO GET