Trump has faced questions about conflicts of interest before.
During his first term as president, the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., has become a symbol of the problem as a place where lobbyists, foreign diplomats and allies can stay and spend money.
Critics argued that the hotel created a way for Trump to profit indirectly from his office. He has faced accusations and lawsuits alleging that he violated the U.S. Constitution’s ban on presidents receiving foreign salaries — or profits from their office.
But experts say the growth of his business empire, which now includes a public social media company, a cryptocurrency firm and ties to a Saudi-backed golf league, allows anyone hoping to make a fortune to move money more quietly and into much bigger amounts.
“The scale has increased and the ease has increased,” said Michael Ohlrog, a New York University law professor who has studied Trump Media, which runs Truth Social and currently accounts for the bulk of Trump’s $6 billion fortune. “You can only book so many hotel rooms.”
For example, at Truth Social, Professor Ohlrogh said that a foreign government or business could purchase advertising that would convince investors that a firm was gaining momentum, which would cause its stock price to rise.
Despite Trump Media’s market value exceeding $7 billion, there are few signs of such activity. The company reported less than $5 million in ad sales this year.
But given the “amplifying” effect of the stock market, Professor Olrogge said it would not take much spending to lead to potentially significant gains for Trump, who owns more than half of the company’s shares.
