- What we do know is that the plane would likely be the biggest gift from a foreign government ever accepted by an American president. This scheme may well violate the spirit (if not the letter) of the anti-corruption provisions America's founders included in the Constitution.May 12, 2025 18:39
- Nevertheless, Attorney General Pam Bondi signed off on the plan. It’s worth noting that during the first Trump administration, Bondi was registered as a foreign agent of the Qatari government—which raises its own set of ethics concerns.
- This plan is just the latest development in what appears to be a deepening relationship between the Trump family and Qatar, coming two weeks after the Trump Organization announced a new golf development in the country, built in partnership with its sovereign wealth fund.
- That is a serious ethics issue in and of itself, and a violation of the Trump Organization’s own (very weak) ethics agreement.
- The plan was announced as Trump heads to Qatar on his first international trip of his second term, which just so happens to take him to three countries where he has properties or developments.
- By the way, Jared Kushner has been working as an informal advisor to the administration in advance of the trip. His firm also happens to have a significant investment from Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund.
- On his trip this week, Trump will meet with foreign officials who have the ability to make decisions affecting his and his family’s finances. This all deserves serious scrutiny and public pushback.
- It’s hard to imagine a country giving a $400 million jet out of the kindness of its heart. So what does Qatar hope to get out of this? What would Trump be willing to give them? Again and again, we have to question whether Trump will put his own interests first, or those of the American people.
