Former Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI) on Monday went down in flames after he tried to defend President Donald Trump's widely criticized gambit to host next year's G7 summit at his own golf course in Doral, Florida.
Even though Duffy acknowledged that the optics surrounding the president's decision to award his own business a government contract to host the G7 were poor, he said that he didn't believe there was anything ethically wrong with the initiative. He also tried to claim that Trump has somehow been victimized by getting elected to be the most powerful man in the world.
"Donald Trump doesn't take a salary," he said. "He gives his money away. His businesses have lost business, you know, Ivanka Trump has lost her line of shoes at Nordstrom. He's lost his line of clothing at Macy's!"
CNN host Alisyn Camerota quickly jumped in to point out that foreign officials have made a habit of staying at Trump hotels as a way to curry favor with the president, while also noting that Ivanka Trump has received multiple trademarks from China while serving in the White House.
Former GOP lawmaker Charlie Dent (R-PA) then dropped the hammer on Duffy.
"This is an ethical train wreck!" he thundered. "To direct business to your own company, I mean I just can't imagine that. Most members of Congress are so careful not to engage in that self-dealing. Imagine if a member of Congress directed government resources to his own business -- he would be investigated."
Watch the video below.
