Editorial Board

Same Conflicts, New Interests

The White House shouldn't be a marketing tool.

Conflicted.

Photographer: Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty

In Donald Trump's White House, the conflicts of interest are vivid, varied and globally expansive, and each day seems to bring more.

Nicole Kushner Meyer, the sister of Trump's son-in-law and adviser, Jared Kushner, has spent the past few days pitching her family's latest real-estate venture, a luxury complex in New Jersey, to potential Chinese investors -- and offering them a shot at a U.S. visa in return. Although the White House wasn't involved, promotional material made quite clear whose sister was making the offer. One slide showed a photo of Trump, identifying him as a "key decision maker" on the visa program in question. Nothing was offered explicitly, but audience members surely got the hint.