President Trump is on his way to getting something he has wanted for a long time: dozens of valuable "Trump" trademarks in China.
China's Trademark Office has now given preliminary approval to 38 new trademarks, covering everything from hotels to golf clubs, insurance and more.
After AP reported the news Wednesday, Senate Democrats expressed outrage, noting that Trump's lawyer, Sheri Dillon, had promised in January that there would be "no new foreign deals" during the Trump presidency. But by pursuing new trademarks, the Trump Organization, which the president continues to own, may be laying the groundwork for expansions in China.
Maryland's Ben Cardin said, "For a decade prior to his election as president, Donald Trump sought, with no success, to have lucrative and valuable trademarks granted in the world's biggest market. He was turned down each and every time. The floodgates now appear to be open."
Cardin called on the federal departments of Justice, State and Commerce to "brief Congress, immediately, on these matters and on the potential constitutional dangers that they present."