constitutional concern. let s play a quick game of what would the founders say. george washington warned us that history inexperience proved one of the most baneful foes of republican government. it was also a core concern of alexander hamilton where he argued that foreign powers will also not be idle spectators. they will interpose. the confusion will increase and a disillusion of the union ensue. look. that s serious stuff even if it wasn t catchy enough to make the musical. even back then, everyone knew the concern. while foreign money would grease the wheels of corruption. and that s why the founders warned about the corrupting influence of money and gifts. the incident that spurred it is absurdly small. concern that a miniature portrait of the french king might corrupt the judgment of benjamin franklin. so they passed the emoluments clause. so if a tiny portrait got the founders freaked out, it s safe to say they would have really