For years, Republicans argued that government officials should avoid even the appearance of conflicts of interest involving their families. Apparently those days are over.
Remember the outrage over Hunter Biden? We were told that even the appearance of influence peddling justified endless investigations, impeachment inquiries, and wall-to-wall media coverage.
Now compare that standard to what’s been reported about President Trump’s Kazakhstan tungsten deal.
Here’s the timeline.
𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱: President Donald Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick personally help push negotiations with Kazakhstan over access to one of the world’s largest undeveloped tungsten deposits—a strategically valuable mineral used in missiles, fighter jets, semiconductors, and military equipment. Trump reportedly joins a call with Kazakhstan’s president during the final negotiations, while Lutnick sends a letter expressing the administration’s full support for the American company pursuing the deal. (E&E News by POLITICO)
𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱: Investment firms connected to Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and the Lutnick family become financially involved in companies tied to the mining project. According to reporting by the Financial Times and later the New York Times, the Trump brothers’ investment vehicle ultimately gains an ownership stake in the venture developing the mine, while Cantor Fitzgerald—run by Howard Lutnick’s sons after his recusal—helps raise hundreds of millions of dollars in financing and earns advisory fees. (Financial Times)
𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱: The U.S. government announces support for the project, including preliminary financing commitments totaling up to $1.6 billion through federal agencies. The deal is promoted as essential to reducing America’s dependence on China for critical minerals. (E&E News by POLITICO)
Let’s be clear about what has 𝗻𝗼𝘁 been established.
There has been 𝗻𝗼 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 that the Trump family or the Lutnick family broke the law. The Trump Organization has vigorously disputed allegations of wrongdoing, arguing that Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump were passive investors with no role in negotiating or influencing the mining contract and has demanded a retraction of reporting it says creates a misleading impression. (Fox News)
But that’s not the point.
The point is the standard.
For years, Republicans argued that government officials should avoid even the appearance of conflicts of interest involving their families. They insisted that indirect financial benefits deserved investigations because public trust depends on confidence that official decisions aren’t influenced by private gain.
Now we have a situation in which:
- The President personally promoted a strategic international deal.
- His Commerce Secretary actively supported it.
- Businesses connected to both of their families reportedly acquired financial interests tied to that same project.
- Federal agencies indicated they could provide up to $1.6 billion in government-backed financing. (E&E News by POLITICO)
Whether those investments were passive or active, whether they were legal or not, the ethical question is obvious: 𝗪𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗯𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗽?
Imagine this exact headline with one substitution:
“President Biden secures a $1.6 billion government-backed mining deal. Weeks later, businesses connected to Hunter Biden acquire a stake in the project.”
Does anyone honestly believe conservative media would call that a coincidence?
They’d be demanding subpoenas.
They’d be calling for special counsels.
They’d be running 24-hour coverage.
The issue isn’t whether securing tungsten is good policy. Reducing dependence on China for critical minerals may well be in America’s national interest.
The issue is whether the same ethical rules apply to everyone.
If Republicans spent years arguing that the appearance of impropriety justified investigations into the Biden family, then they should welcome the same scrutiny when businesses connected to the Trump family stand to profit from a government-backed deal championed by President Trump.
Integrity isn’t tested when the other party is in power.
It’s tested when your own side is.
Norman Berry also known as the pro-survival rap artist ChillEB is an accomplished voiceover talent, jingle writer and screen actor. He recorded the theme song for the Golden State Warriors “Don’t Stop The Noise,” appeared in the Warner Brothers movie Mad City, starred in national commercials for Sega Genesis, PSA’s for the San Francisco Giants & the Contra Costa County Library System, Double Rainbow Ice Cream, Partnership For Drug Free America, Department Of Energy, Nike, Nickelodeon, National Basketball Association (NBA) and most recently recorded The Oakland Raiders theme song (for the 2015-2016 season), among more.
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