We advise kids not to shoplift. Of course, it’s ethically and morally wrong to steal. But there’s more to it than that — a pragmatic matter of self-interest. 

Hey kid, what’s your reputation worth — a couple of packs of chewing gum or a stolen pair of jeans?

As adults, it becomes more serious. The most valuable asset of a business person or professional of any kind is reputation for credibility and trustworthiness. In spending a lifetime building a reputation, you don’t want to blow it on a few measly bucks.

After death, most of us will soon be forgotten by all except a few direct descendants. Not so with the few individuals who have held the most powerful position in the world, the Presidency of the United States. Their legacy of tremendous consequence lives on; will be examined and re-examined by historians and studied in history books on into the future.

American presidents, and other high-ranking politicians for that matter — including those relatively few who come from hard scrabble or modest backgrounds — enjoy adequate financial remuneration during their careers and after retirement. 

Only a select few ever achieve the powerful positions of cabinet secretary, U.S. Senator, or the U.S. presidency. Most of those who do are already wealthy, or at least financially secure, before election or appointment. Some even complain about having to take a salary cut to hold high public office. Even those few who come from low-income backgrounds will be financially secure during their tenure, and after high-level government service, more doors will open for them.

Holding high positions of power where you can actually make decisions that affect the public and the course of history should be its own reward. With financial security coming with it, there is no need to use positions of public power for further personal financial gain. 

This is especially true for American presidents whose legacy will live on long after their deaths. Given the priceless value of a reputation that will live long into the future, one would think a president would not even want to use that position for personal gain. But given human temptation, the Constitution makes clear that a president shall not use that position of power for financial gain.

Traditionally, U.S. presidents have been transparent regarding their financial status, and voluntarily disclose their tax returns. In stark contrast, our current president is conspicuously setting the example for high office holders using positions of power to enhance their own personal wealth. Several cabinet secretaries are already gone because of abuse of power. Others remain under a cloud. 

President Trump is clearly using the presidency to further financially enrich himself and his already-wealthy children. Recent examples include income from nations, including Saudi Arabia, booking expensive rooms at Trump’s Washington, D.C. hotel.

Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, has not been shy about using her father’s position of power to hawk her fashion line. His son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has obviously been talking business with China and Saudi Arabia.

Trump’s shady, if not illegal, financial escapades existed during his campaign for the presidency. These include events containing elements of comedy and farce. Trump’s one-time lawyer, Michael Cohen, allegedly hires a suede shoe artist to conduct a fake poll that shows Trump leading his competitors. The fee would be $50,000 for this scam. The scheme fails, but one crook still needs to pay the other crook.

There is no honor among thieves — er, crooks. So, one crook, Cohen, hands the other crook a Walmart bag of cash. The bag doesn’t contain the agreed upon $50,000. It contains around $12,000 and a boxing glove, ostensibly used by some guy in a big fight somewhere. No, you can’t make this stuff up. Trump has a history of stiffing his contractors during his real estate schemes. It continues with stiffing more recent partners in crime.

Much is made of Trump’s payoff to a porn star and a Playboy bunny with whom he obviously has had affairs. Here we have a self-professed hotshot with women with a history of bragging about his magnetism, now denying that anything of consequence occurred. So he pays them for silence, apparently believing the public would accept these “non-events.”

While other politicians have had affairs, this payoff looks to be an undeclared campaign expenditure, clearly intended to buy silence to influence the campaign.

While these payoffs surely are of questionable legality, I have long believed this to be but a juicy, attention-grabbing sideshow, all but irrelevant to the serious consequences of Trump’s presidency. The real concern should be about Putin’s possible leverage over Trump regarding discussed Moscow real estate enterprise.

Much is made of Trump’s uncritical relationship with Russia’s Vladimir Putin. Beyond the mutual interests of both nations for world peace and avoidance of nuclear confrontation, both Putin and Trump have displayed other incentives for off-the-record conversation.

Putin wanted the economic sanctions against Russia removed. He would like to fracture the American alliance with Western Europe. Even better would be to have an American president over whom he has continuing leverage. How might this happen? However vehemently, and consistently, Trump insisted he had “nothing to do with Russia,” it’s known that Trump wanted to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. During his campaign, Trump lied about such involvement with Russia, giving Putin leverage over Trump. 

Are Putin and Trump, during their clandestine conversations, discussing a post-presidential Trump Tower in Moscow? If so, in return for what? 

The alleged previously discussed penthouse for Putin in a Moscow Trump Tower would be frosting on the cake. Putin’s real objective is an American president over whom he has leverage.

Does Trump care about what future school children will read about his presidency? Is amassing yet more wealth for an already extremely wealthy man and his children worth history books recording his legacy as dominated by corruption and quest for financial gain?

— John Waelti’s column appears every Saturday in the Times. He can be reached at jjwaeti1@tds.net.