The emoluments clause, borrowed from a "17th century Dutch statute…was chiefly aimed at the practice among European royalty of lavishing gifts on foreign diplomats, but it was written to cover all officers." (McLaughlin, 2017). The emoluments clause applies to all federal officers, including congress, U.S. federal judges, vice president, and the president. The constitution defines emoluments under the compensation clause, which prohibits the president from receiving emoluments from a state of the federal government besides his presidential salary. It is also defined in the incompatibility clause, which forbids the senators and representatives from "taking any federal office whose emoluments have been increased during their current term in Congress,
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Both the Senate and the House of Representatives accepted the proposal but “one of the requisite number of States” disapproved because it was considered unnecessary (Eisen et. al., 2016). The emoluments clause applies to the president because the constitution “repeatedly refers to the President as holding an ‘office.’ For example, Article II, Section 1 provides that the President ‘shall hold his office during the term of four years.” (Eisen et. al., 2016). Furthermore, the purpose of the emoluments clause is so that the “president can’t have a conflict of interest” (Eisen et. al., 2016). Trump is mostly involved personally with his business and so is his administration. For example, once Trump took office, he became the landlord and tenant for Trump International Hotel in Washington D.C., which is clearly a conflict. He also “owes several hundred million dollars to banks, but is now responsible for selecting the next Treasury Secretary and may influence interest rate policy” (Eisen et. al., 2016). Because of Donald Trump’s expansive and international obscure business involvement, “never in American history has a president-elect presented more conflict of interest questions and foreign entanglements than Donald Trump” (Eisen et. al.,
Both the Senate and the House of Representatives accepted the proposal but “one of the requisite number of States” disapproved because it was considered unnecessary (Eisen et. al., 2016). The emoluments clause applies to the president because the constitution “repeatedly refers to the President as holding an ‘office.’ For example, Article II, Section 1 provides that the President ‘shall hold his office during the term of four years.” (Eisen et. al., 2016). Furthermore, the purpose of the emoluments clause is so that the “president can’t have a conflict of interest” (Eisen et. al., 2016). Trump is mostly involved personally with his business and so is his administration. For example, once Trump took office, he became the landlord and tenant for Trump International Hotel in Washington D.C., which is clearly a conflict. He also “owes several hundred million dollars to banks, but is now responsible for selecting the next Treasury Secretary and may influence interest rate policy” (Eisen et. al., 2016). Because of Donald Trump’s expansive and international obscure business involvement, “never in American history has a president-elect presented more conflict of interest questions and foreign entanglements than Donald Trump” (Eisen et. al.,