Tuesday on CNN’s “Right Now,” Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) reacted to President Donald Trump standing by Saudi Arabia despite allegations the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was responsible for the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Cohen said, “That’s one of the reasons why the Emoluments Clause violation is so important—because we need to know if foreign money given to our president and his family is affecting our foreign policy. That’s why the Emoluments Clause was put in the Constitution—to see if the president deals first for the benefit of the country and not for the benefit of himself. If you can make money from foreigners without the permission of Congress, then he is in a conflict. I feel we will find out that the relationships he has with the Saudis and that Jared Kushner has with the Saudis has made that more important than to the rule of law and our standing with the nations of the world.”
Host Keilar asked, “You’re saying this is something perhaps much more personal, you think this is because of financial gain for the Trump family?”
Cohen said, “I definitely feel that. I don’t think he ever puts the country first…. he puts himself and his family and their finances first.”
Keilar pressed, “What’s your proof? If you are saying that you believe that to be the case, that this may be about the personal gain of the Trump family, do you have evidence of that? Or is that just a feeling you have?
Cohen said, “Mostly it’s a feeling, but we know the Saudis spent a lot of money in Trump Tower. We know they spent money at the Trump hotels and they have tremendous monies that they use to influence people all around the globe. That’s the main thing the Saudis have is money and oil and it comes from that. There is no question. That’s the first country that Trump went to. He paid the Saudis more diligence. It’s playing off against Iran. But President Obama knew that we needed to not be so much in the debt of the Saudis, but we need other friends. That’s why he partially did the nuclear agreement with Iran because he needed to be in balance the Middle Eastern situation. Right now we are so in bed with them for whatever reason and willing to overlook the murder of an American resident that there must be more to it.”
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN
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