Some politicians go to Washington, D.C. to do good. Some, like President Trump, make the trip to do well for themselves.
Last week, Trump traveled to the Middle East to gild his fortune. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) called Trump’s trip to Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates a “public corruption tour.”
Much of the Middle East is a vast arid desert, but it is an oil-fueled financial oasis for Trump and his family. Hundreds of millions of dollars have poured into the Trump family coffers from the region since the patriarch became president in 2017.
Trump did not resolve the humanitarian crisis in Gaza while he was in the neighborhood, but he did pull off a sweetheart deal and received the gift of $400 million jet, which Murphy described as a “flying palace.” It’s a freebie for the president but it will cost taxpayers millions more to refit as Air Force One. The luxurious gift ride with the gold trimmings is a symbol of his fervent desire to reign in the style of a grand Middle Eastern potentate.
Trump's acceptance of the plane as a gift is a clear violation of the Constitution's Emoluments Clause, which forbids foreign gifts for presidents so as to prevent undue influence by foreign officials.
But even that pales in comparison to the suggestion made by his deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller, that the administration could unilaterally abolish due legal process in the form of habeas corpus to make it easier for the administration to send immigrants to prison in El Salvador.
Trump thinks himself king over a kingdom where greed is good. He enjoys the able assistance of a gang of royal retainers, friends and family who have aided and abetted him in his quest to make the transition from President Trump to King Midas.
Attorney General Pam Bondi signed off on the legality of the gift. Not so coincidentally, she worked as a foreign lobbyist for the government of Qatar to the tune of more than $100,000 a month before Trump made her the chief legal officer of the land. He promised to drain the Washington swamp in his first presidential effort, but now he is the ultimate swamp creature, himself buried neck deep in the primordial ooze.
Then there’s Jared Kushner, married to the president’s daughter Ivanka. His father and father-in-law are convicted felons, but he has made a fortune cutting business deals in the area since Trump became president. Trump pardoned Kushner's father who was just confirmed as ambassador to France, and made Kushner the point-person for diplomacy and commerce in the Middle East. The extended family has made a mint there since 2017 but has done nothing to bring peace to the troubled region.
The smell of corruption is so rank that conservative Republicans like Trump’s former Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) have criticized his acceptance of freebie joy jet ride. Even the New York Post owned by Rupert Murdock, the father of Fox News complained about the optics of the lavish gift while Trump pushes for Medicaid cuts to poor Americans.
Trump has the dubious distinction of being the first convicted felon to become president of the U.S. A jury of his peers found him guilty of 34 counts of felony fraud. But his victory in the presidential campaign in November 2024 punched his get out of jail free card. So, it’s hardly surprising that he has ruled the way he has.
Trump has perfected the art of the steal. His take on the golden rule is that the president who makes the rules, gets the gold along with his family and friends.
His rich family and friends certainly benefit from his economic policies which will permit the wealthy big tax breaks funded by the blood, sweat and tears of financially pressed working families. Trump policies will help bankers and billionaires and will threaten the health and wellbeing of Medicaid recipients and children who depend on school lunches.
Trump’s concern for his lifestyle and the lifestyles of his rich and famous friends present Democrats with so many lines of attack that it’s hard to choose among them. He’s ruined a thriving economy as the latest consumer confidence index just sunk to its lowest level in 13 years. He helps sycophants like Kushner and Elon Musk make fortunes from foreign favors and federal contracts. His draconian campaign against immigrants entering the land of opportunity seeking refuge from political and economic oppression reflects his contempt for the Constitution.
The appropriate Democratic response is to remind voters that Americans want a level economic and small “d” democratic playing field where everyone has an equal opportunity to prosper and where royalism is ancient history and democracy is the featured future.
Brad Bannon is a national Democratic strategist and CEO of Bannon Communications Research which polls for Democrats, labor unions and progressive issue groups. He hosts the popular progressive podcast on power, politics and policy, Deadline D.C. with Brad Bannon.
