Corrupt

The Qatari royal family has given the Republican President a $400 million luxury Boeing 747-8 plane. His acceptance of the gift is a direct violation of the “Emoluments Clause” of the Constitution which states:

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.

– Constitution of the United States, Article 1, Section 9, Clause 8

Of course the Republican President doesn’t believe the Constitution should stand in the way of his acquiring a shiny new toy. The plane is so over-the-top luxurious it is referred to as “a flying palace.” He toured the plane in February when it was parked at the West Palm Beach Airport.

The plane has supposedly been given to the Air Force to be used as Air Force One but the plan requires it to be eventually given to the Republican’s “presidential library foundation” for unspecified uses. Although the President’s spokespeople try to spin it as a gift to the Defense Department, he clearly understands it to be a gift to himself.

These countries aren’t padding DT’s pockets because they like him. They are paying him in order to get things from the U.S. government without having to make any actual policy concessions that would benefit the U.S. people.

– Senator Chris Murphy

Crypto corruption

The Republican President owns 60 percent of a company called World Liberty Financial and gets 75 percent of all sales fees. His two oldest sons are actively involved in the management of the company. On January 17, 2025, the company launched a meme coin called $TRUMP. Less than 48 hours later, it launched a coin called $MELANIA.

It is important to remember that these “crypto-currencies” have no inherent value at all and are backed by nothing. Their only value is the willingness of people to buy them. [The same is technically true of the US dollar, but the dollar has a long history of support around the world and is backed by the trustworthiness (“full faith and credit”) of the US government (if there still is such a thing)].

In just 3 weeks, more than 813,00 investors in these meme coins had lost a total of $2 billion. Meanwhile the President and his partners made $100 million in trading fees.

But the true purpose of the “currency” is to allow foreign nationals and other entities seeking to influence US policy to buy access to a sitting US president.

For example, after Chinese Billionaire, Justin Sun, invested $75 million into World Liberty Financial, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) “mysteriously” dropped its fraud investigation against him.

Now anyone in world can essentially deposit money into a bank account of the President of the USA with a couple clicks. Every favor — geopolitical, corporate or personal — is now on sale, right out in the open.”

-Anthony Scaramucci, former White House communications director

Dinner with the President

On April 22, the coin’s web site announced that the top 25 buyers of $TRUMP will be invited to “an ultra-exclusive private VIP reception with the President” and a “Special White House Tour.” And the top 220 would be invited to a dinner with the President.

After this announcement, the “value” of the $TRUMP coin jumped more than 50% to a total of $2.7 billion. This is a clear example of manipulating a market for personal gain.

This dinner is an “unprecedented pay-to-play scheme to provide access to the presidency to the highest bidder.”

-Senator Richard Blumenthal, (D) Connecticut

The black-tie dinner and private reception occurred on Thursday, May 22, 2025 at the President’s Golf Club near Washington, DC. The list of attendees is being kept a secret, though some outed themselves on social media.

An analysis indicates that 19 of the top 25 holders of $TRUMP used foreign exchanges to buy their coins. This strongly suggests that these people are not US citizens. Accordingly, this is another violation of the Constitutional ban on a President receiving foreign gifts. It is not clear whether these 25 will actually receive the promised tour of the White House.

At the dinner, the Republican President gave a 20 minute speech in which he bragged (yet again) about his election victory. Reportedly, he did not interact with the crowd at all. Even the top 25 “VIP” persons were not allowed to speak or shake hands with the President. But his staff will remember for him who his friends are when they need a favor.

This dinner is “the most brazenly corrupt thing a President has ever done.”

-Senator Chris Murphy, (D) Connecticut

Middle-East bribery tour

From May 13 to 16, 2025, the Republican President visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. He took along with him more than 30 business leaders, but the newswires, such as the Associated Press (AP), were specifically not invited.

During the trip the Republican President secured deals for a Trump Tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and two new projects in Riyadh.

In Qatar, in addition to claiming the luxury jet mentioned above, he got a deal for his organization to build a $5.5 billion luxury golf Resort in Qatar. The deal is with a company owned by the Qatari government – this means the President of the United States is directly in business with a foreign government! Lest we forget, Qatar is a major financial supporter of Hamas is also the home of Al-Jazeera.

Just prior to the trip, the President’s organization announced a billion dollar skyscraper hotel in Dubai, UAE. This is a renewal of a previously failed project. This time, however, the UAE is lobbying to be relieved of the current US restrictions preventing them from importing the latest high-level computer chips. Quid pro quo.

Private billionaires club in DC

Meanwhile DJ, Jr. has announced the launch of a new club for the ultra-rich to be located in the “Georgetown” neighborhood of Washington, DC. The membership will be by invitation only and will cost $500,000. The club will be called “Executive Branch” and will cater to business and tech moguls who wish to fraternize with, and seek favor from, members of the Trump administration.

Reportedly, the club, which isn’t yet open, already has a waiting list.

Removing the guardrails

This Republican administration has deliberately destroyed the ability of the Federal government to fight public corruption.

Since Inauguration Day, the Justice Department has paused all investigations into corporate foreign bribery, curtailed enforcement of a foreign agent registration law and deemphasized the criminal prosecutions of Russian oligarchs.

-CNN Politics

The Republican President has fired up to 17 inspectors general, who are the government’s the anti-corruption watch dogs, across the Federal government. In addition, prosecutors and law enforcement agents who have been involved in some way in previous cases against the President have been fired.

The Republican President has also fired Hampton Dellinger, who was the head of the Office of Special Counsel (OSC). The OSC is a watchdog agency which protects federal whistleblowers from retaliation and ensures fair treatment within the Federal workforce. Of course, the Republicans have no interest in justice or in fair treatment of Federal employees.

With the guardrails now gone, the corruption will only increase.

SOURCES:
Plane
Jonathan Karl and Katherine Faulders, “Trump administration poised to accept ‘palace in the sky’ as a gift for Trump from Qatar.” ABC News, May 11, 2025.
Jeremy Bogaisky, “Why the Qataris are Happy to Dump Their 747 on Trump,” Forbes, May 14, 2025.
Crypto
Sasha Rogelberg, “Thousands of investors in Trump’s memecoin lost $2 billion in just weeks while the family and its partners racked up $100 million in trading fees,” Fortune, February 11, 2025.
Allison Morrow, A crypto mogul who invested millions into Trump coins is getting a reprieve on civil fraud charges,” CNN Business, February 28, 2025.
Dinner
Russ Choma, “Trump Crypto Coin Buyers Offered VIP Tour of White House,” Mother Jones, April 23, 2025.
MacKenzie Sigalos, “Trump meme coin surges 50% after top holders offered dinner with the president,” CNBC, April 23, 2025.
Alison Morrow, “At Trump’s memecoin dinner, the guests – who paid for the invite – can count on anonymity,” CNN Business,” May 22, 2025.
Alayna Treene, “Inside the room at Trump’s meme coin dinner,” CNN Politics, May 23, 2025.
Middle East
— “2025 visit by Donald Trump to the Middle East,” Wikipedia.
Laya Neelakandan, “Trump joined by dozens of CEOs during his Middle East trip,” CNBC, May 14, 2025.
Bernard Condon, “Trump company strikes Qatari golf resort deal in a sign it’s not holding back from foreign business,” AP, April, 30, 2025.
— “Trump International Hotel and Tower (Dubai),” Wikipedia.
Amira El-Fekki, “New Trump Tower Announced for Middle East City Skyline,” Newsweek, April 30, 2025.
Senator Chris Murphy, “Trump’s Middle East Trip: This is a National Security Disaster and a Moral Abomination,” YouTube, May 14, 2025.
Club
Dasha Burns, “Trump-aligned club for the ultra rich launches in Washington,” Politico, April 26, 2025.
Guardrails
Hannah Rabinowitz, et al, “How Trump’s Justice Department has gutted the government’s ability to chase public corruption,” CNN Politics, February 14, 2025.
Miscellaneous
Senator Chris Murphy, “Trump’s First 100 Days: This is a Story of Incompetence, Theft, Mind-Blowing Corruption,” YouTube, April 29, 2025.
“Schiff Takes To Senate Floor to Lay Out Trump’s 10 Most Corrupt Acts So Far,” YouTube,
— “World Liberty Financial,” Wikipedia. May 14, 2025.
— “$TRUMP,” Wikipedia.