Donald Trump's corporate picks raise conflict of interest fears

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

53% : Because Doge would be an independent body, Musk is not subject to the same ethical rules and laws as federal officials, but his heavy involvement in government policy is triggering concern over potential conflicts of interest.
49% : But critics say the intersection of business interests and government policy during Trump's second term could be more complex and potentially problematic than in previous administrations, increasing the danger that government ethics standards could be flouted or ignored.
48% : Trump has tasked him with slashing government spending and increasing the productivity of federal agencies -- including some that have multibillion-dollar contracts with the tycoon's businesses.
47% : Daniel Weiner, director of the Brennan Center for Justice's elections and government programme, said: "The concern is not necessarily with people's backgrounds, I think it's more with is this administration going to take conflicts of interest and avoiding conflicts of interest seriously."If confirmed, Bessent, Lutnick and Wright will have critical roles shepherding the country's economic, trade and energy policies in areas Trump has pledged to make major changes -- including tax cuts, sweeping tariffs, and deregulation -- that will have a broad impact on businesses and markets around the world.
45% : The deferral can be lucrative if Congress adopts lower taxes -- as Trump has considered -- and nominees ultimately sell their investments at a lower tax rate in the future.
33% : But he added: "The question I've been getting a lot in the last couple of days is what if Trump installs loyalists and tells them not to enforce the law?
27% : These are compounded with concerns the Department of Justice under Trump will choose not to prosecute any violations of conflict of interest laws.

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