event

Self-Dealing in the Trump Administration: A Conversation With Norm Eisen

Tue. June 10th, 202511:00 AM - 11:45 AM (EDT)
Live Online

Corruption, illicit foreign bribery schemes, and family members trading on presidential reputations for self-enrichment have surrounded the American political system for years. But the Trump presidency has embarked on an unprecedented scale of self-dealing out in the open, muddying the line between the national interest and those of the Trump family’s business enterprises. At the same time, the administration has hollowed out internal watchdogs, curbed ethics requirements, and undermined America’s credibility in the war against illicit finance. As Peter Baker noted in the New York Times, the "death or dearth of outrage," over this tsunami of self-dealing may well reflect how the Trump Administration has reshaped the standards of what's acceptable in Washington. 

 Where are the current constraints against presidential self-dealing? Why have the public and political elites not generated the kind of reaction that might have been seen in years past?  Are there historic parallels and ways to course correct? What impact do these actions have on U.S. standing globally?

 Join Aaron David Miller as he engages in conversation with Norm Eisen, founder of Democracy Defenders Action and a senior fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution, on the next Carnegie Connects.  

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
event speakers

Aaron David Miller

Senior Fellow, American Statecraft Program

Aaron David Miller is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, focusing on U.S. foreign policy.

Norm Eisen

Co-founder and Board Member, Democracy Defenders Action

Ambassador (ret.) Norman Eisen is the founder and executive chair of Democracy Defenders Action, which has been helping lead the successful national court fights against the Trump Administration, helping secure multiple landmark orders against its authoritarian moves. His work in the courts of law is matched by his efforts in the court of public opinion as the co-founder and publisher of The Contrarian. He is also the co-founder and former chair of other major non-profits including CREW and States United.