President Donald J. Trump and Republic of South Korea President Moon Jae-in visit with U.S. and Republic of Korea military personnel Sunday, June 30, 2019, at the Korean Demilitarized Zone. (Image Credit: Official White House Photo by Tia Dufour)

This week, news organizations dissect the funding for President Donald Trump’s “Salute to America” Fourth of July Celebration and a look at a construction company’s involvement in the Trump Organization’s plans to expand into Indonesia.

President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump pose for a photo with guests attending the Congressional Picnic Friday, June 21, 2019, on the South Lawn of the White House. (Image Credit: Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)

National Park Funds Paying for Trump’s Fourth of July Celebration

Newsweek and the Washington Post are reporting, that $2.5 million has been allocated from the National Park Service budget to pay for President Trump’s “Salute to America” that will be held in Washington, D.C. on the Fourth of July.

According to the Post, the $2.5 million is more than the annual Washington D.C. Independence Day celebration typically costs. A Park Service deputy director said costs for the event are normally around $2 million. The money from the Park Service typically covers repairs at parks, including road and bridge repair and rebuilding habitats, the Post reported.

The event, scheduled to take place at the National Mall is expected to feature fireworks, a display of military tanks and a speech by President Trump. 

President Donald J. Trump addresses service members stationed during his visit to Osan Air Base, South Korea, June 30, 2019. U.S. forces across the peninsula are charged with the mission of deterring aggression, defending the Republic of Korea and maintaining stability in Northeast Asia. (Image Credit: U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. James L. Miller)

Possible Conflicts as Trump Org. Expands into Indonesia

Politico is reporting, that while President Trump was visiting South Korea he tried to make a deal with President Moon Jae-in to allow more companies to invest in the United States while at the same time, his company, the Trump Organization, has been working on building a Trump-branded resort in Indonesia with the help of a construction company owned by the South Korean government.

The news organization said it’s not clear if the Trump Organization expansion was brought up when the two leaders met, but “the meeting represented the latest example of the blurred lines between Trump’s official diplomatic work and his business interests.”

The project in Indonesia is being compared to Disney World and is expected to include a hotel, 18-hole golf course and a theme park. According to Politico, the developer of the Trump-branded resort signed a $120 million contract last year with the construction company that is partly owned by the South Korean government. The development is planned to be built in Lido City, Indonesia.

More conflicts of interest in the news

• A ‘Bridge’ to China, and Her Family’s Business, in the Trump Cabinet
• Trust issues deepen as yet another FDA commissioner joins the pharmaceutical industry
• Trump says there will be military tanks at his July 4th celebration
• U.S. Sues Omarosa Manigault-Newman for Ethics Violations
• America isn’t a family business. Ivanka and Jared shouldn’t be horning in to run it (Opinion)
• ‘What was I in for?’ A professor creates a civics class at UC-Berkeley called ‘Ethics in the Age of Trump

About this Project

Sunlight’s “Tracking Trump’s Conflicts of Interest” project provides a free, searchable database detailing President Donald J. Trump’s known business dealings and personal interests that may conflict with his public duties as President of the United States. The project also documents news coverage of these potential conflicts. Read our reporting to stay current on related news, explore our database, and learn more about the project. As we continue to learn about the First Family’s business holdings, the database will be updated. To help with those updates, get involved by contacting us here. You can also contact us if you’re familiar with any of the conflicts we’re tracking. 

Lynn Walsh is an Emmy award-winning freelance journalist who has worked in investigative, data and TV journalism at the national level as well as locally in California, Ohio, Texas and Florida. She produces content focused on government accountability, public access to information and freedom of expression issues. She’s also helping to rebuild trust between newsrooms and the public through the Trusting News project.