Substack Live with Joyce Vance and The Brennan Center's Michael Waldman

Thank you, and many others, for tuning in to my live video this evening with The Brennan Center! I asked Brennan Center President Michael Waldman to join us tonight because so many of you have written to ask me questions about how Trump gets away with violating the Emoluments Clause, and Michael has just written a smart piece taking on that issue. (You can sign up for the Brennan Center’s newsletter here to see his future pieces, as well as some of mine. I’m proud to be a Senior Fellow with Brennan.)

The bottom line seems to be that whether you say emoluments or kleptocracy, it all adds up to corruption. In case you missed Michael and me, click on the video up above to watch our conversation.

Is his recent piece for the Brennan Center on the issue, Michael wrote, comparing Trump to prior scandals like Teapot Dome or Bill Clinton letting political donors sleep in the Lincoln Bedroom, “What’s different here is that the funds are flowing not to a political party or campaign but to the officeholder as an individual. The transaction is direct, naked.” million Amazon paid Melania for her documentary.

So what’s the takeaway, and what’s a democracy to do? Listen in.

We’re in this together,

Joyce

Get full access to Civil Discourse with Joyce Vance at joycevance.substack.com/subscribe