Trump’s Trademark Continues Its March Across the Globe, Raising Eyebrows
A review of 10 trademark databases shows that President Trump’s enterprise has 157 trademark applications pending in 36 countries, reports The New York Times.
This business enterprise poses legal and moral perils to the president, even though that business now is run by his two sons. A team of constitutional lawyers and ethics lawyers brought litigation arguing that the Constitution prohibits the president from accepting any economic benefit, including trademark approvals, from foreign governments, write Sharon LaFraniere and Danny Hakim.
“The legal question is whether new foreign trademark registrations and other transactions between Mr. Trump’s businesses and foreign governments violate the emoluments clause of the Constitution,” according to the Times. “The clause prohibits federal officials from accepting ‘any present, emolument, office or title of any kind whatever from any king, prince or foreign state.’”