Pelosi accuses Pence of ‘selling out the Constitution to line Trump’s pockets’
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Thursday accused Vice President Pence of “selling out the Constitution” to financially benefit President Trump following the vice president’s stay at one of Trump’s properties in Ireland.
Pelosi argued in a statement that Pence was just the “latest Republican elected official to enable President Trump’s violations of the Constitution,” saying that that American people deserved better from its government.
{mosads}”Vice President Pence promised that their Administration would defend the Constitution and stand by a ‘strict constructionist‘ interpretation of the Constitution,” she said. “Instead the Trump-Pence Administration is ignoring the text itself and selling out the Constitution to line Trump’s pockets.”
She added that Trump’s properties were a “cesspool of corruption” and a “black hole for tax payers’ money.”
The White House has faced mounting scrutiny from Democrats over Pence’s stay at the Trump property in Doonberg, Ireland, earlier this week despite the property being about 180 miles away from Dublin, where his meetings with Irish leaders took place.
Pence stayed at Trump International Golf Links and Hotel in Doonbeg on both Monday and Tuesday night.
Marc Short, Pence’s chief of staff, told reporters on Tuesday that Trump had not requested or directed Pence to stay at his property earlier this week, but noted that he suggested it. Short also noted that Pence’s family originally hails from Doonbeg.
“I don’t think it was a request, like a command,” Short said of Trump. “I think that it was a suggestion.”
The vice president’s office later attempted to distance itself from the statement, saying that “at no time did the president direct our office to stay at his Doonbeg resort and any reporting to the contrary is false.”
Trump on Wednesday also denied any involvement in the decision-making, saying from the White House that “it wasn’t my idea for Mike to go there.”
“Mike went there because his family’s there. That’s my understanding of it,” he said.
Asked if he suggested that Pence stay at his resort, Trump said that he doesn’t “suggest anything.”
Multiple Democrats have voiced outrage over Pence’s stay at the Trump property. Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), for example, accused Pence of “funneling taxpayer money” to Trump.
Pelosi noted in her statement Thursday that the controversy came just weeks after Trump said that next year’s Group of Seven (G-7) summit of major world leaders would likely take place at his Doral golf resort in Florida.
She also accused Trump’s properties of violating the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution by “accepting and encouraging foreign governments to pay to stay at Trump resort properties without Congressional approval.”
“The American people deserve a government that serves their interests, not one that’s being exploited to line the President’s pockets,” she said.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hill.
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