As President Trump tries to ease sanctions for China’s ZTE, a Chinese telecommunications company, by pushing “management changes” instead of sanctions, China approved 13 new Ivanka Trump trademarks in 3 months.
The AP noted the timing, “China approves 13 new Ivanka Trump trademarks in 3 months,” in a conflict of interest piece centering on Ivanka Trump’s brand winning foreign trademarks in China and the Philippines.
The AP reported that China granted Ivanka’s company final approval on its 13th trademark on Sunday, and they have given provisional approval for another eight trademarks.
As these trademarks were being decided and granted, Trump pushed management changes instead of sanctions for China’s ZTE.
On Tuesday, Trump pushed a plan to fine ZTE Corp and blame its management while rolling back the severe penalties that challenge ZTE. Congress was not impressed with Trump’s nonsensical plan, and both Republicans and Democrats accused the president of bending to pressure from Beijing to ease up on ZTE.
The New York Times called the graft and ongoing pay to play con with this headline: “Ivanka Trump Wins China Trademarks, Then Her Father Vows to Save ZTE,” and this was over seven trademarks. They wrote, “At around the same time, President Trump vowed to find a way to prevent a major Chinese telecommunications company from going bust, even though the company has a history of violating American limits on doing business with countries like Iran and North Korea.”
The Times notes that “the most recent slew of trademarks appear to have been granted along the same timeline as Ms. Trump’s previous requests,” but the Trump family is trying to profit off of China while dealing with China as the President of the United States.
Republicans and conservative media claim that any criticism of Ivanka Trump is unfair, as she is the daughter of the president. Normally, this argument would hold water, but unlike former administrations the Trump administration brought his children in as advisers to the president and sends them out to represent the president in unusual ways that they aren’t qualified to do, often speaking to foreign leaders as negotiators for the president, for example.
Instead of then Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Ivanka Trump met South Korea’s Foreign Minister amid North Korea negotiations. In fact, these talks were arranged when they met during the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, a fact confirmed by Newsweek.
CNN reported on the tensions in the White House surrounding Ivanka’s bizarre role, “The concerns of Kelly and others about Ms. Trump — who has little experience in government or diplomacy, and hasn’t played a role in discussions about North Korea — were aired in private, according to people familiar with the matter. Kelly was advised by those closest to him that it would be a losing battle to oppose Ivanka as the delegation’s leader.”
At the G20 in 2017, Ivanka literally took her father’s seat. The president’s seat, among world leaders.
The Trump administration tries to get around these issues by saying she works for free as an adviser to the president, but Ivanka Trump makes $1.5 million a year while working in the White House “for free.”
Ivanka wears a USA hat and her father’s slogan is Making America Great Again, but her products are not made in the USA. According to Matea Gold of the Washington Post, Ivanka’s products are made in Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam. The Trump organization brand products are also made in other countries, including Bangladesh and China.
The reason Congress side-eyed Donald Trump on ZTE is it is very obvious that Trump is not negotiating with the best interests of the United States and the world, but rather the Trump family money and brand.
It would be very simple for Trump to avoid such criticism and questions by simply doing what other administrations have done. This is but one reason why people do not invite their unqualified children to be advisers to the president. And this is but one reason why Trump should have divested himself and his family of his/its foreign interests.
Sarah has been credentialed to cover President Barack Obama, then VP Joe Biden, 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, and exclusively interviewed Speaker Nancy Pelosi multiple times and exclusively covered her first home appearance after the first impeachment of then President Donald Trump.
Sarah is two-time Telly award winning video producer and a member of the Society of Professional Journalists.
Connect with Sarah on Post, Mastodon @PoliticusSarah@Journa.Host, & Twitter.
- Philly DA Warns Anyone Planning to Play Militia ‘F Around and Find Out’ - Mon, Nov 4th, 2024
- Opinion: Republicans Kill Another Woman with Abortion Ban as Pregnant Teenager Dies - Fri, Nov 1st, 2024
- Musk Flouts the Law with No Repercussions in Pennsylvania - Thu, Oct 31st, 2024
