Refuses to divest from business empire at press conference featuring stacks of 'blank' folders

In his first press conference as President-elect, Trump announced he would not divest from his business empire or place his assets in a blind trust, defying ethics norms followed by every modern president. Instead, he claimed he would hand control to his sons, Don Jr. and Eric. To illustrate the complexity of his business, he pointed to a table piled high with manila folders, which reporters later noted appeared to be filled with blank paper. The arrangement allowed Trump to continue profiting from his properties while in office, raising immediate concerns about violations of the Emoluments Clause.

"I have a no-conflict situation because I'm president." — News conference (President-elect), Trump Tower, New York City