A CNN panel broke into laughter as a former Trump lawyer tried to defend recent revelations of the president’s self-enrichment.
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William Brennan spoke on The Arena with a panel led by CNN anchor Kasie Hunt, and he offered a defense for Trump profiting from his cryptocurrency ventures while serving as president. Earlier this week, The New York Times revealed that Trump has reeled in more than $1.4 billion in revenue from crypto.
“This may have the appearance of impropriety,” Brennan said about Trump’s enrichment. “But before people accuse him of actually, you know, selling his office or actual impropriety, some type of proof should be there.”
As Brennan spoke, CNN displayed a banner below him that noted, “Trump’s income topped $2 billion last year,” which was also reported by the New York Times. His $1.6 billion deal with the country of Kazakhstan to mine tungsten, which is expected to benefit his sons, was reported by the NY Times earlier this week, as well.
However, Brennan added in his defense of Trump, “I mean, I think he donates his whole salary to some charitable organization.”
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Trump’s salary as president is about $400,000 a year. As Brennan mentioned Trump’s salary donations, laughter could be heard from CNN contributor and NY Times journalist Lulu Garcia-Navarro and CNN political commentator Jonah Goldberg, who were on the panel.
Meanwhile, Hunt threw up her hands and yelled, “But it’s peanuts by comparison!”
“He’s not looking for the $400,000,” shouted Garcia-Navarro. “He’s getting $2 billion.”
Goldberg responded to Brennan’s comments, saying, “This lawyerly stuff, I just find appalling.”
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