Why Eric Trump joining his father’s trip to China is so tough to defend

Listen to this article

Speed

When Donald Trump arrived in China this week, he brought along a sizable American entourage, including several prominent White House Cabinet secretaries and executives from leading corporate giants.

But the president’s delegation also included his middle son, Eric Trump, who is neither a Cabinet secretary nor an executive from a leading corporate giant. The New York Times reported:

While he is not a member of his father’s administration … Eric Trump does lead the Trump family business. And the company, known as the Trump Organization, has flirted with Chinese business deals over the years, raising the question of whether his presence could blur the lines between government business and private enterprise.

By way of explanation, a spokesperson for the American president’s controversial family business said Eric Trump is in China “in a personal capacity,” adding, “He will not be participating in private meetings, but will instead stand alongside the president to mark this historic occasion.”

In other words, Eric Trump joined his father in Beijing as a member of the president’s family — and that’s it.

Except it’s not nearly that simple. The obvious problem is that Donald Trump went to great (and at times dishonest) lengths to go after Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, for his efforts in China, which predated Biden’s presidency.