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it was the Clinton's who sold access to the Lincoln Bedroom.

Mar-a-Lago membership fee doubles to $200,000

Mar-a-Lago, the Palm Beach resort owned by the Trump Organization, doubled its initiation fee to $200,000 following the election of Donald Trump as president.

People close to the Florida resort said the increase took effect Jan. 1. The resort had been considering an increase for some time, said those people, who declined to provide their names because they were not authorized to speak on behalf of the company.

A spokesperson for the Trump Organization did not respond to CNBC's request for comment. But the timing is likely to add to criticism that the Trump Organization is trying to benefit from the president's election.

Indeed, shortly after the fee hike was revealed, Barack Obama's former top ethics lawyer told MSNBC that the increase is a "not very subtle exploitation of the fact that the club's figurehead is now president of the U.S."

"This type of naked profiteering off of a government office is what I would expect from King Louis XVI or his modern kleptocratic equivalents, not an American president," Norm Eisen said.

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The main point being that Trump doubled the membership fee at his resort based on commercializing the presidency. Hob job with the president for $200,000.

So are you at least the tiniest bit critical of a President who personally profits from selling membership - at a rate of $200,000 in membership fees, and $14,000 a year in annual dues -

in exchange for personal access to his White House staff and himself?

Quote:

So are you at least the tiniest bit critical of a President who personally profits from selling membership - at a rate of $200,000 in membership fees, and $14,000 a year in annual dues -

Unless the law changes, I don't see anything in the laws that says the President can't profit from his time in office. In fact every single modern President has left office wealthier, no poorer, well unless you are the Clintons...

Unless the law changes, I don't see anything in the laws that says the President can't profit from his time in office.

This is the part that has no factual proof to go with it. Unless it is written into their membership contract, you are pulling stuff from your backside.

Baldimo wrote:

Unless the law changes, I don't see anything in the laws that says the President can't profit from his time in office.

So you're cool with the fact that Trump has not divested the property, and is personally profiting from membership fees and annual dues?

You're critical of people who made a donation to the DNC being invited to stay at the Lincoln Bedroom, but Trump personally raking in what are most likely millions of dollars in private profits is nothing to be too concerned about?

Baldimo wrote:

This is the part that has no factual proof to go with it. Unless it is written into their membership contract, you are pulling stuff from your backside.

Oh yeah, you're right. If it's not in the contract, then it doesn't matter.

Of course, there is a lot of proof now that you might run into the President at Mar-a-Lago. Or that you might run into top ranking White House staff. Or that you might be able to take a selfie with the guy who carries the nuclear football. Or that you might personally witness how the President and his international partners react to an international crisis. Or that the President might come over to crash your wedding party and personally congratulate you.

As long as you paid your $200,000 membership fee and your $14,000 annual dues, of course.

But if it's not in a contract, then it's completely irrelevant. As irrelevant as the accusations against Hillary that a donation to the Clinton Foundation would grant anyone access to the Secretary of State.

I do wonder how the right would handle it if Clinton were president...actually, no I don't. We all know what would happen.

Quote:

I do wonder how the right would handle it if Clinton were president...actually, no I don't. We all know what would happen.

It already happened, the Clintons were indeed selling access to the highest bidder even back then. They didn't have a foundation yet, they had the White House and an overnight stay in the Lincoln Bedroom. At least Trump owns his own business, the Clintons never did.

Quote:

I do wonder how the right would handle it if Clinton were president...actually, no I don't. We all know what would happen.

It already happened, the Clintons were indeed selling access to the highest bidder even back then. They didn't have a foundation yet, they had the White House and an overnight stay in the Lincoln Bedroom. At least Trump owns his own business, the Clintons never did.

Clintons granting access to Lincoln Bedroom for DNC contributors - bad.

Trump personally raking in hundreds of thousands of dollars from selling access to himself at a private business he personally owns - good.

Not crying; Absolutely no interest in a membership that has anything to do with Trump. Just stating facts; promoting his business as president. Without the title, he'd have to give a discount to stay in business.

He just cheapened the presidency for the future of our country.

How about Trump advisors communicating with the Russians. You okay with that?

you are pulling stuff from your backside.