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What public statements did Donald Trump make about bribery while president?
Executive summary
Donald Trump repeatedly made public statements while president criticizing enforcement of U.S. anti‑bribery law and then signed an executive order pausing enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA); news outlets reported he called the law “a horrible law” and warned it discouraged U.S. business abroad [1] [2] [3]. Critics warned the move could “diminish” U.S. anti‑corruption leadership and spur a global race to the bottom; supporters and administration messaging framed the change as protecting American firms from overreach [4] [5] [1].
1. What Trump publicly said about bribery enforcement — blunt criticism and an executive order
Reporting shows Trump publicly attacked the FCPA’s enforcement as harmful to U.S. business and then signed an executive order directing the Justice Department to pause prosecutions under the law and prepare new guidelines, with outlets quoting him calling the law “horrible” and saying enforcement made Americans an easy target for investigations when operating overseas [1] [2] [3].
2. Administration action matched rhetoric: pause of FCPA prosecutions
Multiple outlets reported that Trump translated his rhetoric into policy on Feb. 10–11, 2025 by issuing an order that paused enforcement of the nearly half‑century‑old FCPA and instructed the attorney general to review past actions and craft new enforcement guidance — a concrete step consistent with his public criticisms [1] [6] [4].
3. How Trump and allies framed the change — protecting U.S. competitiveness
News coverage captured the administration’s argument that aggressive FCPA enforcement can chill legitimate U.S. business activity overseas; Trump and spokespersons argued the law “sounds good on paper” but in practice prompts investigations of Americans doing lawful business abroad and dissuades commerce [3] [1].
4. Pushback from anti‑corruption advocates and some media — erosion of norms
Transparency International and other critics told reporters the order “diminishes — and could pave the way for completely eliminating — the crown jewel in the US’s fight against global corruption,” and analysts warned it could spark a “race to the bottom” among other countries or reduce the leverage used to hold foreign officials accountable [4] [5] [2].
5. Wider context: legal and institutional implications cited by reporters
Coverage underscored that the FCPA has been a cornerstone of global anti‑bribery norms and that U.S. prosecutions helped inspire other countries’ laws; Reuters, BBC and others noted the order paused prosecutions and asked the DOJ to re‑examine both current and past enforcement decisions, a step with possible broad legal consequences [1] [2] [6].
6. Allegations and political attacks related to bribery beyond the FCPA debate
Reporting later in 2025 tied other bribery controversies to the Trump administration: news outlets documented a Justice Department probe (reported paused or closed by some sources) into Tom Homan accepting cash in a sting and noted concerns that the administration had shut down or hindered those inquiries after Homan became a Trump appointee — a different, domestic bribery allegation discussed in news commentary and opinion pieces [7] [8] [9].
7. Political reactions and partisan framing — competing narratives
Sen. Elizabeth Warren and other Democrats framed questions about potential influence and donations tied to Trump projects (like a presidential library) as possible avenues for corruption or bribery, arguing the timing of contributions while decisions were being made raised ethical concerns; that line of criticism contrasts with the administration’s stated aim of protecting U.S. business from over‑criminalization [10] [4].
8. Limitations, gaps and what the sources do not say
Available sources do not provide a comprehensive single transcript cataloguing every phrase Trump spoke about bribery while in office; reporting focuses on his public denunciations of the FCPA, the executive order pausing enforcement, subsequent criticism from anti‑corruption groups, and separate reporting about a probe involving an aide [1] [4] [7]. Sources provided do not detail every rhetorical aside or private remark on bribery beyond these documented actions and statements (not found in current reporting).
9. Bottom line for readers
If your question is what Trump publicly said while president about bribery enforcement, the record in major outlets shows he repeatedly condemned FCPA enforcement as damaging to U.S. business and signed executive action to pause its prosecutions — a stance that produced sharp praise from some business‑oriented corners and stark rebuke from anti‑corruption advocates who fear weakening global bribery enforcement [1] [3] [4].