Trump Organization Admits President Still Controls His Business In New Filing

Key Concepts

• Donald Trump's control over the Trump Organization despite claims of separation.
• The Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust as the central entity holding Trump's assets.
• The role of trustees (Don Jr. and Alan Weisselberg) and the advisory board (Eric Trump).
• Trump's continued influence and potential financial benefit from his business while in office.
• Potential conflicts of interest arising from Trump's business interests and presidential duties.

1. Trump Organization Filing and Continued Control

• A filing submitted to British regulators by the Trump Organization reveals that Donald Trump retains significant control over his business empire.
• The document, a "Notice of individual person with significant control," identifies Donald John Trump (born June 1946) as having influence over Golf Recreation Scotland Limited.
• Golf Recreation Scotland Limited is the entity through which Trump holds Trump Turnberry, a golf resort in Scotland.
• The "nature of control" section specifies that Trump has the right to exercise significant influence or control over the activities of the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust.
• The trust holds Golf Recreation Scotland Limited and virtually every other asset in Donald Trump's empire.
• This filing suggests that Trump maintains a grip on his entire business empire, despite previous claims of separation.

2. Structure of the Trust and Delegated Authority

• During Trump's first term, his son Don Jr. and executive Alan Weisselberg served as trustees of the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust.
• Eric Trump served as chairman of the advisory board of the trust.
• The document states that the trustees have the right to exercise significant influence or control over the company.
• This indicates that Trump delegated authority while retaining ultimate power.

3. Past Claims and Evidence of Continued Involvement

• In early 2017, Eric Trump told Forbes that the president would receive financial updates "probably quarterly," despite promises not to discuss business with his heirs.
• ProPublica obtained a document suggesting that Trump could demand money from the trust at any point.
• Trump frequently visited his properties, including Mar-a-Lago, which he nicknamed the "winter White House."
• The UK ambassador reportedly stated that Trump asked him to explore whether the British government could help direct the British Open to Turnberry.
• Trump also attempted to steer the G7 meeting to his golf resort in Miami.
• A December 2024 SEC filing stated that Trump remains the sole beneficiary of his trust.

4. Instances of Asserting Control

• During a 2017 press conference, Trump asserted control over his business, stating, "I hope at the end of 8 years I'll come back and say oh you did a good job otherwise if they do a bad job I'll say you're fired."
• Trump initially named Bobby Birfield as an ethics lawyer, then replaced him with William Burke.
• In a social media post, Trump suggested his business should ditch Burke, and Eric Trump confirmed the Trump Organization was parting ways with the attorney within hours.

5. White House and Trump Organization Responses

• When contacted about the impact of tariffs on Trump's business, a White House spokesperson stated, "The president's assets are in a trust managed by his children while he is working overtime to lead the country to economic prosperity."
• The White House did not respond to inquiries about the new filing.
• A Trump Organization spokesperson stated, "This was a simple administrative update the structure of the business has not changed."

6. Conclusion

• Despite efforts to portray the president as separate from his business, the filing suggests that Trump has been in control all along.
• The Forbes.com article by Dan Alexander provides full coverage of the issue.
• The key takeaway is that Trump's continued involvement in his business empire raises questions about potential conflicts of interest and the true extent of his separation from his business while in office.