Trump ban excludes Muslim countries where he does business

Washington, Jan 29: Several Muslim majority tions where the Trump Organisation is active and which in some cases have faced troublesome issues with terrorism, do not figure in the list of the countries whose citizens were banned from entering the US.

The new President is facing questions whether he designed the new rules with his own business in mind.

“He needs to sell his businesses outside his family and place the assets in a blind trust, otherwise every decision he makes people will question if he’s doing it in the interests of the American people or his own bottom line,” said Jordan Libowitz, the spokesman for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a liberal watchdog group.

The group has filed a lawsuit arguing that Trump is already in violation of a constitutiol provision barring federal officials from accepting payments from foreign officials.

Earlier in the week, Norm Eisen, the group’s chairman and a former ethics adviser to former President Barack Obama, tweeted: “Warning: President your Muslim ban excludes countries where you have business interests. That is a ­Constitutiol violation. See u in court.”

Stephanie Grisham, a White House spokeswoman, said: “The high-risk territories are based on Congressiol statute and ­nothing else.”

Trump has handed over magement of his real estate, licensing and merchandising business to his sons to avoid the perception that he is making presidential decisions to boost his own business. According to the Washington Post, Trump has retained ownership of the ­company, meaning if it thrives during his presidency, he will profit.

Trump has licensed his me to two luxury towers in Istanbul. A Turkish company also manufactures a line of Trump-branded home furnishings. Also untouched by Friday’s ­executive order is the UAE, a powerful Muslim ally with whom the US ­has complicated ­relations. Trump has licensed his me to a Dubai golf resort as well as a luxury home ­development and spa. (IANS)