Conservative Republican Calls Trump’s Town Hall Admission of Foreign Business Dealings While President ‘Disturbing’

Conservative Republican lawmaker Tim Burchett (R-TN) said he found Donald Trump’s town hall admission that he made nearly $8 million from foreign business dealings while president “disturbing.”

During Wednesday night’s Fox News town hall, Trump confirmed a House Oversight Committee report that claimed his businesses received at least $7.8 million in foreign payments while he was president. He then argued to moderators Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum that the earnings were justified:

If I have a hotel and somebody comes in from China, that’s a small amount of money. You know, it sounds like a lot of money, that’s a small — but I was doing services for them. People were staying in these massive hotels, these beautiful hotels. ‘Cause I have the best hotels, the best clubs. The best clubs. I have great stuff. And they stay there, and they pay. I don’t get $8 million for doing nothing.

CNN’s Boris Sanchez asked Burchett what he thought of Trump’s admission.

“Former President Donald Trump acknowledged last night during a town hall that his businesses made roughly $8 million dollars from foreign business dealings, one of them a bank in China that has allegedly helped North Korea skirt sanctions. Is that appropriate?” Sanchez asked.

“If that’s the truth, then no, it’s not, Boris,” Burchett said. “I don’t endorse that kind of thing. That’s not the league I run in. And, no, of course it’s not. I would like to get all the details on it. I didn’t see it. I — probably unlike the rest of Congress — I generally do not watch the news, the left or the right — I just live it. I would have to see that, what he was talking about in what reference. But to me, personally, that is disturbing.”

The report, compiled by Democrat lawmakers, accused Trump of violating the Foreign Emoluments Clause (Article I, Section 9, Clause 8) of the U.S. Constitution that reads:

No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.

Watch the clip above via CNN.