Tag Archives: Abu Dhabi

Raw Story: ‘Second biggest scandal’: Trump accused of new grift that puts Qatari plane in Shade

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“The plane is the second-biggest scandal on this trip,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) told Raw Story. “The $2 billion crypto investment in Trump stablecoin [by an Emirati firm] is the more offensive grift.”

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Now, Trump is unshackled. The president and his sons aren’t even pretending to close shop: they’re expanding, thirsty for deals like the one they signed in April to build a golf club in Qatar.

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“What he’s doing is already illegal, so we don’t actually need a statute for that,” Schatz told Raw Story. “Now I would say his corruption complicates the conversation for sure, but I am not one of these people who think we need to make a new law to reiterate that the existing laws shouldn’t be broken.”

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As for the confluence of multi-billion dollar crypto investments, real-estate deals and a $400 million plane?

“That’s just what we know,” Whitehouse said. “I don’t think it gets better.”

‘Second biggest scandal’: Trump accused of new grift that puts Qatari plane in Shade

https://www.rawstory.com/raw-investigates/trump-qatar-plane-2672031382

Independent: Musk tried to block massive Trump-backed Mideast AI deal unless he was included: report

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Elon Musk rushed to the Mideast to hold up a massive Trump-endorsed American AI operation in Abu Dhabi unless it included him, according to a new report

Retiring DOGE hatchet man Elon Musk rushed to the Middle East during Donald Trump’s visit there earlier this month to block a massive American AI partnership with the United Arab Emirates backed by the president – unless it included him, according to a new report. That apparently explains the tech billionaire’s sudden appearance at a Trump meeting with Saudi Arabia officials during the president’s three-country Middle East tour.

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Trump’s team scrambled to soothe an irritated Musk so the president could announce the deal while he was in the Middle East, the Journal reported.

It wasn’t immediately clear if some kind of accommodation was worked out for the tech boss who has donated hundreds of millions of dollars to the campaigns of Trump and other Republicans, or if he is now part of the deal. He could not immediately be reached for comment. His company has not been named as a participant in the business by any announcement of the deal.

Poor F’Elon!

Musk tried to block Trump-backed Mideast AI deal unless he was included: report
Elon Musk rushed to the Mideast to hold up a massive Trump-endorsed American AI operation in Abu Dhabi unless it included him, according to a new report

https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/musk-trump-middle-east-ai-deal-b2759700.html

USA Today: Trump’s crypto dinner: Black ties, a Chinese billionaire and ethics questions

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Referencing Trump’s business moves while in office, an ethics expert said, “His is one of the most blatant and appalling instances of selling access to the presidency I’ve ever seen.”

President Donald Trump dined with 220 investors who plowed a combined $148 million into his crypto venture, boosting the growing crypto industry and inviting a torrent of criticism about the ethical implications.

Black-tie dinners with the wealthy are nothing new for Trump. But this event, which took place on the evening of May 22 at his golf club in Sterling, Virginia, stood out among the annals of presidential dining.

The dinner with the president was a reward for making the leaderboard in a contest to be among the top purchasers of the $TRUMP meme coin, a type of cryptocurrency. The top 25 buyers spent more than $111 million and were granted a private VIP reception with Trump, while the top four also received a limited edition Trump Tourbillon watch that sells for $100,000.

This is corruption and influence-peddling at is finest. King Donald is for sale!

Trump’s crypto dinner: Black ties, a Chinese billionaire and ethics questions
Trump hosted a black-tie dinner at his Virginia golf club for 220 investors who gave a combined $148 million to his crypto venture.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/05/22/trump-crypto-dinner-ethics-meme-coin/83787117007

Raw Story: ‘I’m not thrilled’: Trump greets sultan’s gift with childish sulk

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President Donald Trump went into a childish sulk over a gift handed to him as he left the United Arab Emirates Friday.

In video posted to X by Trump’s special assistant Margo Martin, the president finished his first foreign diplomatic trip by accepting the present.

He immediately mocked it — to his host’s face.

The gift was a glass container holding a small amount of oil. It was handed to Trump by the head of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Co., Sultan Al Jaber.

Ungrateful boor!

www.rawstory.com
Raw Story: ‘I’m not thrilled’: Trump greets sultan’s gift with childish sulk

https://www.rawstory.com/trump-middle-east-2672031020

Defense News: What’s wrong with Trump accepting a 747 from Qatar? Everything

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As secretary of the Air Force, I was frustrated by Boeing’s failure to deliver the new Air Force One aircraft on time.

I can understand that President Trump would like a new aircraft, painted as he desires and available for use during his term in office. I cannot understand his willingness to accept the “gift” of a luxuriously appointed, used Boeing 747 from Qatar.

It is wrong to accept this gift from any perspective.

Read the rest of the article for a lengthy discussion of “any perspective”.

What’s wrong with Trump accepting a 747 from Qatar? Everything.
Opinion: The Qatari gift amounts to a flying palace rather than a flying White House meant for vital work, argues former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall.

https://www.defensenews.com/opinion/2025/05/16/whats-wrong-with-trump-accepting-a-747-from-qatar-everything

Raw Story: Trump’s DOJ screwed up by rushing the ‘worst possible case’ to the Supreme Court: expert

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A decision to send Solicitor General John Sauer to defend an executive order signed by Donald Trump before the Supreme Court this week was a massive mistake that could haunt the president going forward.

That is the opinion of conservative lawyer George Conway who appeared on MSNBC’s “The Weekend” Saturday morning where he was asked to weigh in by co-hosts Jonathan Capehart, Eugene Daniels and fill-in host María Teresa Kumar.

Discussing Trump’s attempts to undermine birthright citizenship enshrined by the 14th Amendment, Conway asserted the DOJ used the wrong case at the wrong time.

“This is the worst possible case and that was Justice [Elena] Kagan, former Solicitor General Kagan’s point,” he began. “To bring up to the Supreme Court on the procedural technical issue of when you can issue a nationwide injunction.”

“You want to go up on a case where you’re going to you have a chance of winning, where the court thinks that, ultimately, your position is right,” he stated.

Trump’s DOJ screwed up by rushing the ‘worst possible case’ to the Supreme Court: expert

https://www.rawstory.com/trump-supreme-court-2672034883