US President Donald Trump has declared himself the ultimate authority on whether his administration should pay him $230m in damages related to past federal investigations. The decision would, according to Trump, need to pass "across my desk."
Trump's claims were filed under the Federal Tort Claims Act, which allows citizens to sue the government for wrongful actions by employees. However, in this case, he is essentially making himself judge and jury over his own administration's accountability.
Critics have pointed out that such a situation raises serious concerns about conflicts of interest, as Trump's actions would determine whether taxpayer money is awarded to him personally. The New York Times reported on the claims Tuesday.
The Federal Tort Claims Act specifically bars cases involving discretionary or policy actions, meaning this should be outside its scope. No sitting president has ever sought damages from the federal government over investigations into their own conduct.
Trump has suggested he may donate any proceeds from his lawsuit to fund a ballroom he's building at the White House. The Department of Justice spokesperson, Chad Gilmartin, stated that all officials follow career ethics guidance.
The situation highlights Trump's unusual approach to accountability and raises questions about how these claims will be evaluated under his administration.
Trump's claims were filed under the Federal Tort Claims Act, which allows citizens to sue the government for wrongful actions by employees. However, in this case, he is essentially making himself judge and jury over his own administration's accountability.
Critics have pointed out that such a situation raises serious concerns about conflicts of interest, as Trump's actions would determine whether taxpayer money is awarded to him personally. The New York Times reported on the claims Tuesday.
The Federal Tort Claims Act specifically bars cases involving discretionary or policy actions, meaning this should be outside its scope. No sitting president has ever sought damages from the federal government over investigations into their own conduct.
Trump has suggested he may donate any proceeds from his lawsuit to fund a ballroom he's building at the White House. The Department of Justice spokesperson, Chad Gilmartin, stated that all officials follow career ethics guidance.
The situation highlights Trump's unusual approach to accountability and raises questions about how these claims will be evaluated under his administration.
, who do you think is gonna sign off on this... you? lol what's next, you're like the king of accountability? also if you're gonna donate all that cash to your fancy white house ballroom, can I get a refund on my taxes then? 
seriously though, conflicts of interest are a big deal here and it's pretty clear you don't care about being held to the same standards as everyone else. not exactly inspiring confidence in your ability to lead 
this is getting crazy... if he's gonna decide who gets paid and who doesn't just himself, it's like something outta a cartoon 
think of all the times we've said 'let the courts handle it' or 'the system has checks in place', but now it looks like he wants to be the sole judge and jury 
no way, that's what makes him a special snowflake (just kidding 
). seriously though, this is super sketchy. what's next? him reviewing his own decisions and declaring himself exonerated? 
just adds insult to injury. like, isn't it weird enough when rich people use their wealth to influence policy? now we're talking about using public funds for personal vanity projects 
... what if Trump decides he wants more than just some funds for himself?
. so he's trying to dictate whether his admin has to pay him 230m in damages or not? that's just wild 
. like, isn't that a conflict of interest or something? shouldn't there be some sort of separation between the president and his own admin? it's like he's saying 'yeah, i'm gonna judge myself' 
.
The fact that this is even being considered as an option raises so many red flags about conflicts of interest. It's like you're trying to write your own rulebook and then expect everyone else to follow it 
.
i get it, people have opinions but not when they're also the big cheese making the decisions. this whole thing smells like a bad idea, and if trump does decide to donate any winnings to build a ballroom at white house lol what's next? 
. Is that even legal? Shouldn't there be some sort of line drawn between Trump's personal interests and his admin's duties? Anyway, gotta keep an eye on this one 
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! Can you imagine the POTUS making himself judge and jury? Like, what if he's biased or just wants to make an example out of someone else? It's super fishy 
. And the fact that he might donate any winnings to fund a White House ballroom is just rich 
. Not sure how this would hold up in court, but one thing's for sure: it's gonna be super interesting to watch unfold 
.
. And let's not forget about the fact that taxpayer money is at stake here 
... meanwhile, we're still dealing with real issues like healthcare and climate change 
. Trump needs to get his priorities straight #AccountabilityMatters #ConflictOfInterest #TrumpToughTalk