In George Washington’s 1796 farewell address as the first president of the United States, he issued a stern warning against the poisonous influence of foreign governments on the affairs of the young nation.

"Against the insidious wiles of foreign influence… the jealousy of a free people ought to be constantly awake, since history and experience prove that foreign influence is one of the most baneful foes of republican government."

While Washington resisted foreign influence as president, the framers of the Constitution recognized that the possibility of a corruptible American president was real.

“In the words of the constitutional scholar Cecilia Kenyon, many of the founders were ‘men of little faith,’” says Bilder. “They fundamentally believed that people’s private ambitions and thirst for more power or money were powerful motivators. You couldn't rely on the goodness of human nature. In fact, you had to create these redundant structures to guard against it.”

https://www.history.com/news/foreign-influence-constitution-founding-fathers