Imagine that a month from now terrorists again attack Mumbai — killing 100 hostages including more than a dozen American citizens at a luxury apartment complex. Only this time it is the 75-story Trump Towers.
For the first time in history, America has a billionaire president with worldwide holdings and business relationships. His name is on 264 properties and his initials appear on another 54 sites.
The properties are soft targets for international and homegrown terrorist attacks, including by those motivated by President Donald Trump’s perceived Islamophobic, anti-Mexican, anti-Chinese, anti-Syrian, anti-immigrant, misogynistic or other positions.
While citizens don’t know the extent of his holdings, business partners, financing and other relationships because of the president’s unwillingness to disclose his or The Trump Organization’s income tax returns, 264 properties bear his name.
The 264 Trump-named properties are in the United States, Indonesia, Korea, Turkey, Dubai, Ireland, Canada and India. There are projects slated to open in the Philippines and Dominican Republic.
Currently, Trump Tower in Manhattan and Mar-a-Lago Club resort in Palm Beach, Fla., are secured by Secret Service, Homeland Security and local law enforcement. Except for private country clubs, Trump-named properties are open to the public with many having underground or above-ground parking garages.
If there was an attack, would the president direct that federal resources provide security at home and abroad for Trump-named properties?
How would the president react to an attack on a Trump site? To what extent would America’s military arsenal be deployed and service members be placed in harm’s way?
While ethical, governmental, public policy and constitutional questions abound as to why President Trump should divest his holdings, consequential is protecting innocents who could be lost, permanently disabled or harmed if there was an attack.
If a tragedy occurs, patrons would be leery to stay, shop, live or work at properties bearing his name. The president should sell on the high before a foreseeable and horrific tragedy unfolds. He and the nation would be well served by divesting these potential targets.
Malcolm Lazin is a former Department of Justice attorney and a former chair of the Pennsylvania Crime Commission.
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