...and the Ugly

Qatar offered to give Trump a jumbo 747-8 plane, described as a luxury palace in the sky, which would serve as Air Force One.  Thereafter, the plane would go to Trump's presidential library, and maybe even be available for his personal use.  Trump has been annoyed at Boeing as they are apparently behind in finishing the two new jumbo jets that are intended to replace the current aging Air Force One.  I hope that Congress is investigating why there has been such a delay.

Trump said only a "stupid person" would refuse the offer.  "They're giving us a free jet...I could say 'no, no, no, don't give us - I want to pay you, $1 billion, or $400 million, or whatever it is.  Or I could say thank you very much."  Seriously, President Trump?  In what might be described as a major understatement, Senator Ted Cruz said the plane "poses significant espionage and surveillance problems."  I cannot imagine the DOD and the Secret Service ever approving the use of that plane as AF1.  Even if the plane was taken apart piece by piece, and stripped down to the bare bones, who knows what electronic devices, or worse, may have been embedded in the various parts.  Every little piece would have to be x-rayed and scanned.

Here was the conservative New York Post:  "Sorry, this 'gift' is far from free; Qatar will surely expect something in return."  No doubt.  The Post:  "...it creates all kinds of conflicts of interest and runs smack into the Constitution's Emoluments Clause, which prohibits foreign gifts."  Said the Wall Street Journal:  "If the emir calls the White House to share his views on Iran, Israel and the region, won't he expect the President to pick up the phone?  Should voters even have to wonder?  It demeans the presidency to have a foreign government handing out such a valuable gift to America's elected leader."  Not to mention that Qatar has already said they do not want the U.S. to use our base there to attack Iran.

Here's something else that bothers me.  Remember when Biden was VP and then president, and during those times he and his family seemed to have ongoing business concerns in Europe and with China.  I didn't like any of it.  Most of my fellow conservatives did not like it either.  Well, this is no different when it comes to the Trump family.  I don't care that Trump's holdings may be in a blind trust.  His sons are running the family companies.  We clearly need some federal legislation to deal with this.

There needs to be a law preventing not only the president and vice-president, but all cabinet members and others high up in an administration (and their family members), from conducting overseas business  while they hold office.  All of these officials should be serving the American people, and only the American people.  There should never be any doubt about that.  But doesn't the Emoluments Clause in the Constitution already cover this?  I do not know the extent to which it might cover a federal official from doing business in foreign countries, as the clause refers to foreign governments.

It was never clear to me why Steve Witkoff was flying all over acting as Trump's envoy, when we have a Secretary of State to do that job.  According to the New York Post:  "Qatar spent $643 million in a leveraged buyout to bail out Witkoff and his partners in a New York hotel project."  Are we supposed to feel good about that?  I don't.

And, it hits closer to home.  The Post article continued:  "Eric Trump signed a $5.5 billion deal with a Qatari company to build a golf club and villas 40 miles north of Doha...and it's expected to net millions for the Trump clan."  I hope that everybody agrees that this is entirely unacceptable.  It was unacceptable, at least to the conservatives I know, when Biden seemed to be selling access and influence when he held office.  And while I'm sure those on the Left will agree with me now, many simply made excuses for Biden and his family at the time Biden was in office.  

But it all needs to stop.  And if this president or the next one were to veto such legislation, then I would expect sufficient votes in Congress to override any such veto.  Anyone in Congress not willing to do so, should not be reelected.  Yes, that's how strongly I fell about protecting the integrity of the federal government.