More than half of Americans believe US President Donald Trump is placing his personal wealth ahead of the country’s interests, while roughly six in 10 think he is profiting from the presidency in ways they consider illegal or unethical.
According to a new survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 56% of US adults believe Trump has placed “a lot” of emphasis on his personal business interests since returning to the White House.
By comparison, only about one-quarter said he had given the same level of attention to the interests of the country as a whole, while roughly one in 10 said he had focused heavily on people like them.
The survey also found that around 60% of Americans believe Trump is either illegally profiting from his presidency or engaging in unethical behavior that does not necessarily break the law.
About 40% said they believe he is doing something illegal, while approximately 20% considered his conduct unethical but not illegal. Only about one-fifth said he was doing nothing wrong.
“His wealth increases,” said Barbara Thaxton, an 87-year-old independent voter from Florida. “But the people in the country are just barely getting by.”
The findings come as Trump’s family business expands into new ventures, including cryptocurrency and overseas real estate deals, raising renewed questions about potential conflicts of interest between his private financial activities and his public responsibilities.
Trump has relaxed restrictions on his family’s overseas business activities that were in place during his first term and launched several cryptocurrency ventures since returning to office.
In a financial disclosure filed in June, the president reported receiving more than $1 billion from new cryptocurrency businesses, according to the report, according to Press TV.
One major venture received a $500 million investment from a United Arab Emirates business linked to the country’s royal family after Trump’s election victory.
The Trump Organization has also pursued eight foreign real estate deals during the first year of his presidency, including projects in countries where governments exert considerable influence over private business.
MNA
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