“Since I have you on the line, Mauricio…”
For a number of years, Trump and his Argentine partners have been trying to build a major office building in Buenos Aires. The project has been held up by a series of complications tied to financing, importation of building materials and various permitting requirements.
According to a report out of Argentina, when Argentine President Mauricio Macri called President-Elect Trump to congratulate him on his election, Trump asked Macri to deal with the permitting issues that are currently holding up the project.
Pause to stare at the screen in frozen horror.
This comes from one of Argentina’s most prominent journalists, Jorge Lanata, in a recent TV appearance. Lanata is quoted here in La Nacion, one of Argentina’s most prestigious dailies. Said Lanata: “Macri called him. This still hasn’t emerged but Trump asked for them to authorize a building he’s constructing in Buenos Aires, it wasn’t just a geopolitical chat.”
…
Why aren’t we hearing about this in the American press?
Well, remember, no one knew anything about the visit from Trump’s Indian business partners until it appeared in the Indian press either. It seems like this is likely happening on many fronts. It’s just being hidden from the American press. We only hear about it when it bubbles to the surface in the countries where Trump is pushing his business deals.
Trump has denied it. Macri has denied it. The Embassy of Argentina has denied it.
But you know what? I don’t believe them. Trump is a chronic and unabashed liar, so why should I or anyone believe him? And I don’t.
I don’t believe them, either. It is totally consistent with his personality and brashness to bring the topic up on that phone call.
What is apparently uncontestable is that he handed over the line to his daughter, the totally-blind-trustee of his businesses, and also that the President of Argentina was not pushed off a turnip truck yesterday.
Will anyone (anyone with standing, anyone with the authority to act) do something about this?
Even if Trump is telling the absolute truth that it didn’t come up, the mere potential that it could … oh, what are those phrases the media was so fond of when talking about the Clinton Foundation? “Raises questions.” “Casts a shadow.” “Causes concerns.”
As to whether anyone with authority will do something…. the pessimistic answer is “nope.” The cynical answer is “the Republican Congress is putting together a list of potentially impeachable offenses that they’ll sit on unless and until Trump either displeases them and/or his favorability ratings crater to the point that he becomes a massive liability.” The optimistic answer is that enough Republicans in Congress actually sincerely believe that they should police corruption in Republican administrations, too.
Me, I’m a cynic.
Oh he handed the phone to his daughter. Well that’s quite all right then.
Jesus h christ.
Thanks for the info, Seth.