Paul Waldman

' (born February 27, 1968) is an American columnist and senior writer for ', as well as a contributor to ' and a blogger for s Plum Line blog.

Republicans are already making it clear: Trump can do whatever he wants (December 5, 2016)

 * Republicans are already making it clear: Trump can do whatever he wants,  (December 5, 2016)


 * We’ve never had a president whose business created as many potential as Donald Trump, and at the same time we’ve never had a president who cared less about conflicts of interest as Donald Trump. Indeed, he and his children are making it quite clear that they will use the presidency as a tool to make as much money as they can. And Republicans, particularly Congress, have apparently decided that if Trump does it, it’s okay.
 * We’re going to see this again and again: not just a disinterest in Trump’s copious conflicts of interest, but a willingness to parrot whatever ludicrous defense Trump makes of them.
 * You can say that this is just standard, and the president’s party is always going to defend him. But what’s different about this moment is how blatant and unapologetic the incoming president is being about continuing to pursue his business interests. This is a reminder that the institutions we rely on to keep the government honest are dependent upon the integrity of the people within them.
 * When you have divided government, the administration knows that both the Congress and the media are watching it, which restrains its behavior. But we’re in the process of creating an environment where everyone knows that accountability is a joke.