Avlon: Trump’s Cozied Up to Dictators, He Has No Credibility on Combatting Corruption

EXCERPT:

AVLON: “Not only that, he’s cozied up to dictators and autocrats from North Korea to Russia to Egypt. So combating corruption is not exactly an area where he’s got core credibility. So why is he doing this? Well, he already admitted to asking a foreign power to investigate a political rival who is beating him in most 2020 polls. So the initial strategy of denial doesn’t work anymore. So now it’s an anti-corruption initiative. Of course, the real strategy is deflect and project. Leave folks thinking that everyone is corrupt. It's not true and this isn’t normal. Here’s just a taste of why the strategy going after the Biden family for corruption is a sign that irony is dead. The Trump family is reportedly still making foreign deals despite the President’s promise not to. For example, Ivanka Trump has been granted 16 new trademarks from the Chinese government, including one for voting machines, while she has worked in the White House. Ivanka also released financial statements showing she made $3.9 million in 2017 from the Trump Hotel in Washington. That's just part of the $82 million haul she made along with her husband, fellow White House staffer Jared Kushner, who 'The New York Times' reports paid little or no federal taxes for years. But now let’s take President Trump at his word, a risky proposition, I know, and say that his administration is uniquely committed to combating corruption around the world. If that’s the case, it’s worth asking why they cut the budget devoted to fighting corruption by 40% and the amount dedicated to combating international organized crime by 75%. If you want to find the truth, follow the money. And the Trump Administration's own budget suggests that combating corruption isn't a priority. It’s almost as if this whole thing is a political stunt designed to distract from the obvious. Donald Trump doesn’t really care about corruption at all. And that’s your reality check."