Since winning the presidency, President-elect Donald Trump has been dogged by serious and legitimate questions about whether he plans to separate his business interests from the duties of the Oval Office.
On Tuesday, in an interview with the New York Times, Trump seemed to suggest he doesn’t plan to build a wall between his personal empire and the White House, setting up what could become a serious of major conflicts of interests resulting in multiple congressional investigations.
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At the same time, the Washington Post reported Tuesday that the Trump Foundation admitted to the IRS it had violated a “self-dealing” law, which bars nonprofit leaders “from using their charity’s money to help themselves, their businesses or their families.”
Crowds of demonstrators meanwhile continue to march in protest of the election.
All of this comes on top of the fact that the Republican candidate himself was elected to office even after floating multiple controversial proposals, including the time he suggested he’d compel the U.S. military to murder the wives and children of known and suspected terrorists.
Yet with the many problems facing the coming Trump administration, and all the general public unrest, many in the entertainment and news industries have found time to worry about whether the president-elect’s developing Cabinet will be diverse enough.
Newsrooms have been hot on the story:
- Donald Trump Struggling With Diversity in His Administration, Cancels Meeting with NYT Over ‘Conditions’ and More
- Trump’s latest rumored Cabinet pick could add diversity
- Trump’s White House: How white will it be?
- Cabinet diversity? Eh, sure
- LEAVING WOMEN OUT OF DONALD TRUMP’S CABINET IS NOT JUST WRONG—IT’S DANGEROUS
- Which women or minorities could be considered for a Trump administration?
- Trump’s administration is looking like it’ll be very white and very male
- White men dominate Trump’s early staff selections
Individual members of the news and entertainment industries have followed suit:
Trump’s Cabinet Summary= Old White Dude’s Club. No diversity Donald Trump’s Cabinet-in-waiting: What we know so far https://t.co/j0touLjgsS
— Eric Guster, Esq (@EricGuster) November 17, 2016
In the name of diversity, Trump has chosen only 3 men named Mike to be in his Cabinet.
— Elena Sheppard (@eleshepp) November 19, 2016
Trump diversity count: 0
— Bakari Sellers (@Bakari_Sellers) November 18, 2016
If Trump wants to be president for all Americans, where is the diversity in his cabinet? So far, he’s only named white men. Another lie.
— Norma Love (@APnlove) November 21, 2016
One could argue White House diversity is important now more than ever, because it could go a long way to calm fears about whether minorities will get equal treatment under America’s 45th president.
However, it’s worth remembering that at this point in November 2009, President Obama had announced the selection of four white men and one white woman – a Cabinet secretary (Tim Geithner), three senior communications staffers, and advisor David Axelrod. He didn’t announce any other Cabinet hires until after Thanksgiving.
Further, considering how some in media have reacted to certain potential Cabinet picks, including Dr. Ben Carson possibly heading the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, it seems many of the diversity-related criticisms have more to do with simple opposition to Trump than with the issue of equality.
@realDonaldTrump HUD!?
Sounds like Reagan’s approach to cabinet diversity. The 80’s really is Trump’s favorite decade.— Mara Liasson (@MaraLiasson) November 22, 2016
I guess a person who doesn’t hate people is what qualifies as diversity in the Trump Cabinet https://t.co/ENoZSH8ONl
— Dave Gilson (@daudig) November 22, 2016
Trump has repeatedly and successfully taken advantage of the news media’s inability to see the forest for the trees. Throughout the campaign, the outrages-of-the-hour have helped him obscure bigger and more serious questions about his character and business practices.
Diversity isn’t a non-issue. But given the above, aren’t there bigger Trump issues to focus on than the possible ethnic composition of a Cabinet that hasn’t even been put together yet?
