“Why would I turn down a free, very expensive airplane?” — Donald J. Trump, President of the United States
It’s sitting on a tarmac in Qatar: a $400 million flying palace, hand-delivered by a foreign monarchy to a sitting U.S. president. The leather seats are monogrammed. The master suite has gold fixtures. And the listening and tracking devices are all well hidden. The official story? A “gift” to help replace Air Force One. No cost to taxpayers. Just a favor from friends.
U.S. Constitution (Article I, Section 9, Paragraph 8)
No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.
Congress never approved it. Trump didn’t ask. The Constitution says that’s illegal. Trump says it’s “smart.”
We’re 112 days into Trump’s second term, and the grift isn’t hiding. It’s preening.
In the old days, there were excuses—blind trusts, firewalls, the pretense of distance. Now, there’s no separation. Trump is president. Trump is CEO. The U.S. government is a side hustle.
Take the Qatar deal. In April, Trump’s sons inked a deal with Qatari Diar—a state-owned real estate firm controlled by the same royal family that gifted the plane. The Trump Organization will slap its name on a new luxury golf resort and branded villas. The land is government-owned. The money is sovereign. The profits? Private.
Asked about the optics, Eric Trump said the company was “just licensing a name.”
He forgot to mention who was writing the checks.
“The flag’s still waving. But it’s got a logo on it now.”