When the US does fall eventually (or like tomorrow, who fucking knows), one of the largest culprits will be our media ecosystem and the absolute cowardice of 99% of the people involved who chose to normalize fascists.
What I can never understand is how they editorialize the sheer illegality of this regime with absurd level of nuance; but let this happen in a foreign country, they’d run out adjectives to describe it
I piss off my husband by saying this, but I've been saying this for years: the media has failed us for years. The @nytimes.com has been leading the way sine 2015
Out in the open EVERYDAY. And press & pundits report this as some kind of normal. The same guys who dogged Joe Biden for having Parkinson's. OK pundits, where is the RELENTLESS hammering OF REPUBLICANS for this to stop?! Stop blaming this on the DEMS. That's a distraction. Put the pressure on.
I was led to believe that AF1 was the specialist most advanced magic plane the world could make and that everything about it was classified and made special to be safe…
if you've seen Qatar Airways First Class options, you know these bastards know how to make aerial palaces. The problem here is what they expect from Trump in return.
The corruption is stunning. But his complete break with the republican (small r) traditions of this country are revolting. Between this, and his conversion of the Oval into one of Saddam’s palaces, it’s clear he doesn’t want to be president of the world’s oldest democracy. He wants to be a king.
Like how could the government trust a plane ordered to be built by a foreign government, too, besides the entire Bribery thing. It could be wired to hell and back because it's the president's plane which is an Intel bonanza. That needs to be constructed in a safe, controlled manner with oversight!
Colossal Corruption in plain sight. Supposedly this will replace Air Force 1 while His Crappy Majesty is in office then become part of the 'Trump Library' in 2029.
Jaw dropping. 🤮
We have recently had issues with DOD lawyers saying our faculty can't accept lecture invites from UK universities because doing so would count as an emolument 🙃
I had a DoD lawyer say that a British brigade couldn't pay travel expenses for me to give them a pre-deployment talk on counterinsurgency during the height of Iraq because emoluments.
We had this same issue with a NATO course where even in-kind lodging for US instructors at an allied military's guesthouse was scrutinized for weeks. Now we've got leaders openly flaunting classified info handling and corruption laws.
The statutes (and regulations implementing them) are the “consent of Congress” (quote from the Emoluments Clause) that makes the gifts authorised by those statutes compliant with the clause.
It may have been statutory vs emolument, but lecture travel from Cambridge or royalties from Oxford U Press def became problematic as someone ruled they counted as foreign govt payments directly to an employee
I probably shouldn't have cited w/o knowing all details but will stand by the general point that as a general principle federal rules on accepting gifts from foreign govts / leaders tend to be very strict. Usually....
It's definitely a big pile of different rules on different things. IIRC no honorariums, but yes expenses, generally no gifts, but de minimis exceptions, and some items which have no marketable value. Mostly by statute, but then further restricted by EO
It can certainly be a thing. It just sounds silly to reject such an invite on that basis. I can’t remember the last time I said no to something like that. Instead it was, “here are the parts you can accept; pay for the rest if you want it, or decline.”
JAGs vary -- and in fairness I think even most who go super restrictive mean well but are confronted with novel (to them) situations in an mostly civilian academic setting. And we've been told our SJA office is severely understaffed vs peer pme institutions
We’re gutting US science, education, healthcare, pensions, and environmental protection so we have the money to pour fuel into this foreign intelligence-bugged gold-plated gas-guzzling flying emolument?
I’m sure some reporter will ask him, “Mr. President you’re accepting a very expensive gift from a foreign country, and, as I’m sure you know, that’s a crime. How do you explain this to the American people?”
"until shortly before he leaves office, at which time ownership of the plane will be transferred to the Trump presidential library foundation" lol jfc, the sheer audacity of the bribe
Yes, that’s the clear text. But the Supreme Court has decided it’s only corruption if you specifically promise some action in exchange for the money. If someone gives you a plane or a duffel of gold & just has to hope you will do their bidding it’s fine. :P
It’s like having a legal retainer.
SCOTUS only decided that with respect to the felony bribery statute; senators are not constrained by the supreme court's logic on bribery with respect to impeachment
Oh no, surely Qatar divested itself of nearly half a billion dollars worth of asset out of the goodness of its heart. States are famous for their charitable endeavours, after all.
I would bet any amount of money that the plane goes with Trump when and if he ever leaves office. who's going to say'' That plane belongs to the US'' nobody, that's who.
Looking forward to Congress allocating funds to make a 'donated' plane AF-1 capable. Holding my breath for that. And later, for the Congressional approval to 'donate' a working AF-1 capable plane to a private foundation.
Please add alt-text when sharing images, so that blind and low-vision people aren't excluded from the conversation. Some context and copy/paste or a brief description are often enough. Checking the "reminder to add alt-text" box in your accessibility settings helps a lot.
And we damb well should. Tbh it's wrong that all that's require is that they 'register' the 'gifts'. If company Y wants to meet with a minister they is no legitimate reason why they can't simply come to relavant Whitwhall office & meet the minister & maybe eat a Chocolate Digestive or 2.
alternatively if they wanna do it at a football match it's one they both parties paid for separately out of whatever designated funds exist for entertainment purposes.
Since it’s a gift to the US, how is it then that he has stated he will continue to use it after he is out of office? It’s not meant for him personally, according to what they said here.
Now now Pwn, bribery requires he take or refrain from some official act in exchange! Just fostering a good relationship? That’s common sense (per CJ Roberts)
It’s on Congress to enforce the Constitution’s emoluments clause; but it’s on the Supreme Court both to take corruption seriously and to demonstrate public integrity by example. Recent rulings, and the Harlan Crow stuff, have sent a message of permissiveness.
No, he is totally bribeable...he can never have too much money...the more he gets, the more he can dump into grifts that will inevitably fail without losing it all...he is just that stupid.
It’s just wild that the U.S. elected its own Mobutu Sese Seko and there aren’t daily mass protests of millions of Americans against his comically corrupt, morally bankrupt, administratively incompetent regime.
What gives the Defense Department authority to give away a plane to a private foundation? Can they just give all the USA's fighters and bombers to that private foundation? Why not?
Idk maybe they classify it as a blockbuster video and the Trump library as the last remaining video store so after 3 years they have to rewind it and return it, idk, like everyone can see it's plainly corrupt
It’s good I guess that they still feel some need to pay tribute to virtue, however blatant and transparent the vice.
But I’m still not even sure why they persist in going through the motions of pretending it isn’t corrupt. Dude’s raked in ~$3bn in bribes since retaking office.
Covenants codes and restrictions were once used to impose segregation. If I recall correctly, in California anyways, it was done because legally it was understood that other methods were unconstitutional. Attaching restrictions to the title of property.were not.
But in this case if it is some form of a restriction placed on the title that essentially limits the use of this plane to Trump then the only interest it can be protecting for the parties involved is bribery.
And how will the presidential library foundation be able to afford to preserve this historic artifact representing American-Qatari friendship? Surely it would belong in the Smithsonian once it eventually leaves service after serving successive presidents…
... which is, of course, infamously under his direct control and not set up as an independent foundation *like it's supposed to be*. This is, like, unzipping-your-pants-and-plopping-your-balls-on-the-table level crazy bribery. They might as well be cutting him a check.
LOL I hadn't really thought of that, but yeah. Qatar is definitely more frenemy than friend. (ngl, I am kinda constantly in awe at how sharp the Qataris are when it comes to this sort of stuff, especially wrt Trump. They're shrewd af.)
I was just chatting about this with a coworker. I definitely expect the next phase of his unchecked, cartoonish corruption to be funneling all kinds of stuff towards his "library foundation," which is basically, at this point in time, a checking account under his direct, personal control.
I'd be willing to bet a good deal of money that his future library, if it ever happens (I'm not holding my breath), will either be built on one of his own golf courses / resorts, in a really sketchy leaseback scheme of some kind, or at some batshit insane school like Liberty University.
I’m not saying everyone involved in this — the lawyers justifying, the bribers and bribees, everyone — should be loaded on the plane and crashed into the ocean on January 21 2029 but actually yes I kind of am
Because who’s going to stop him? Not the Republican-controlled congress. Not SCOTUS. At some point we’re going to have to start talking about the Constitution in past tense.
HE. DOES. NOT. CARE. The country has been unable/unwilling to hold him responsible for anything; he believes he is completely Teflon. If nothing is ever done about any of his grift, yes, he'll do this, and more.
Forget who said it to me a while back, but one measure of the corruption in a society is "look at the sums of money that see national politicians go to prison"
Basically the premise is a society that'll throw a senator in prison for a $1000 bribe is in a society that doesn't tolerate $1000 bribes; but if the bribes that are triggering prison sentences are $10m, that's a society that tolerates much more to have even created that scenario in the first place
Yeah, and if the answer to that is both that there appears to be no size of bribes that triggers criminal liability, and the bribes are announced publicly to fanfare & celebration, that seems even worse
Only Republican presidents. Democratic presidents get years-long investigations of possible hinkiness involving the business affairs of their relatives.
If you visit the Canadian Museum of Science and Technology in Ottawa, you can see the following exhibit, to have a sense of what happens to gifts from foreign states to Canada’s leaders.
no explicit quid pro quo, Raffi, so it can't possibly be a bribe or run contrary to the emoluments clause. that's just common sense. no one of sound mind could possibly perceive this as an attempt to influence an individual.
The other thing, on an industrial policy level, the two 748s ordered to replace the current pair really shouldn’t be bogged down like they are. It’s not being made capable of aerial refueling, e.g.. They two were white tails that were available.
I'm sure some FedSoc originalist will be around presently to explain that when the framers put the emoluments clause in the Constitution, the clear intent was that the President should not accept bribes in their personal account, but instead set up a nominally independent corporate entity.
My son, in the reserves, spends a full month yearly packing everything a president could need, including vehicles, to avoid using ANYTHING in a foreign country. I'm sure a lifted plane is no risk of surveillance or catastrophe...sure sure.
Of course, THAT could be an advantage IMO
BOOM! TOTAL WAR: TRUMP SHUTS DOWN THE IRS – 45,000 AGENTS FIRED! THE DEEP STATE IS SCREAMING AS TRUMP FREEZES THE IRS FOR 90 DAYS!
BREAKING: TRUMP FREEZES THE IRS, 45,000 AGENTS TO BE FIRED! President Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bent announce a 90-day IRS freeze to investigate fraud ..
He just wants a new plane and he will get one, no matter the cost to the United States national security, nor the safety of our troops, nor national defense.
I have a feeling the Qataris spent a lot of time in the bathroom at Mar-a-log-o.
The Saudis paid him $2 billion shortly after he left the White House. Qatar paid him $1.2 billion in 2017 to bail out 666 Fifth Ave. while he was a senior WH advisor. It can be hard to keep track of all the corruption!
“The plane will then be transferred to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation no later than Jan. 1, 2029, and any costs relating to its transfer will be paid for by the U.S. Air Force, the sources told ABC News.”
Obviously there is precedent for this sort of thing: Queen Victoria gifted Rutherford Hayes the Resolute Desk, after all, and we see that as a great symbol of friendship.
But she didn’t predicate the gift on Rutherford getting to take it home after he left office.
Every day, in every way, America's just going to get weirder and weirder until there's no room for any more weirdness at all. And then we'll just close up shop for good.
Shocker Warning: Guess what story isn't currently being presented by Fox News?
(Also note the contrast between the ABC News and Fox search pages, where the latter doesn't allow sorting by Relevance/Most Recent, as one would expect for readers seeking news coverage.)
On the Final Fantasy VI sliding scale of Fascist Empire Starts World War and Destroys the Planet While Everyone Twiddles Their Thumbs, were just before the Floating Continent stage.
I do not disagree with the sentiment, but I do think the conservative, is not the root of all evil. Progressive pushes forward change and conservatives resist it. In the end progressives win but not as quickly as they wish.
“Conservative refers to a preference for traditional values and practices, often resisting change or new ideas. In a political context, it typically relates to supporting established institutions and policies that favor limited government involvement in economic matters.” AI ref Cambridge Univ Press
Wait…if he claims America is so great why is Air Force One suddenly not good enough for travel? Why else would you need any other plane? Can some brainless media clown ask him that? I’d hire Kristen Welker but she is incapable.
Part 1: Qatar refused to help bail out Jared Kushner’s hotel on 666 Fifth Ave in 2017. Months later, the Trump White House backed a Saudi-led blockade of Qatar, raising concerns that Kushner’s foreign policy stance may have been influenced. Qatar housed the largest US air base in the Middle East.
Part 2: In 2018, Brookfield Asset Management paid $1.1B for a 99-year lease of the tower. Though Qatar denied involvement, its state fund had major holdings in Brookfield, triggering investigations into whether Kushner’s White House role was used to benefit his family business.
This is sooooo illegal. for this alone, Trump needs to be removed from office. How many more illegal things does he need to do before Congress acts? I am so pissed off and disappointed in our government.
The most easily manipulated president is a canker sore on the face of this nation. This is a clear-cut example of why the Constitution specifies no emoluments for POTUS. Accepting this bribe is impeachable behavior. Ask every GOP in Congress about their intentions to uphold their oath of office.
this is just to say
I have accepted
the jet
that the qataris
offered
and which
you were probably
thinking
is a bribe
forgive me
it's a flying palace
and Pam Bondi
says it's totally cool
OK! "Bondi's legal analysis also says it does not run afoul of the Constitution's prohibition on foreign gifts because the plane is not being given to an individual, but rather to the United States Air Force and, eventually, to the presidential library foundation".
Good to know that within the unitary executive theory, there's a distinction between a gift given to a unit of the executive branch and to the president himself.
The Founders obviously understood there to be a workaround by which public officials can create a corporate shell like a presidential library to receive gifts on your behalf. Totally makes sense.
I just can’t. Seems like yesterday, Republicans were going after “Hunter”Biden for allegedly profiting off of his Father’s presidency. Now, in Trump’s corrupt reign, anything goes.
Oh, you mean like The Statue of Liberty? A lovingly crafted, symbolic gift that we all will enjoy for generations? (For reals, though, we should put it in a pedestal as a warning to future societies.)
"The highly unusual -- unprecedented -- arrangement is sure to raise questions about whether it is legal for the Trump administration, and ultimately, the Trump presidential library foundation, to accept such a valuable gift from a foreign power."
Comments
Really a return to where DoJ/OLC was about justifying, legalizing, and legitimating already fixed policy.
Please address why and how a presidential “library” would need/use a(n) (in)secure super jet?
Sincerely,
All of sane America
So, then, it's not really a "gift to the United States".
Jaw dropping. 🤮
Brakes work fine
https://bsky.app/profile/sababausa.bsky.social/post/3lom6sozuis2a
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2002/01/20/china-finds-spy-bugs-on-presidential-jet-made-in-us/
https://www.boeing.com/commercial/747-8/design-highlights#technologically-advanced
No. The answer is no, they would not have. They would have shit bricks.
Emoluments!
but let's keep it in place until at least January 21, 2029
📜 Text SIGN PFLSBK to 50409: https://resist.bot/petitions/PFLSBK
https://youtu.be/93lrosBEW-Q?feature=shared
It’s like having a legal retainer.
As long as Trump already did something for Qatar, this is just as innocent as anything that, say, Clarence Thomas might do!
In business and in politics, that is entirely their purpose. Not a gift, an investment in the future.
LOL
Please add alt-text when sharing images, so that blind and low-vision people aren't excluded from the conversation. Some context and copy/paste or a brief description are often enough. Checking the "reminder to add alt-text" box in your accessibility settings helps a lot.
I thought that was just a few noisy GB News addicts?
"I may not be where I want to be as an attorney, but I sure as fuck am not Pam Bondi or Rudy Giuliani" goes a long way.
* We all know Roberts only meant Republican Presidents at best, and quite possibly only Trump himself.
Checkmate, libs.
‘King’ is patently not powerful enough.
‘Emperor’ perhaps?!!
But I’m still not even sure why they persist in going through the motions of pretending it isn’t corrupt. Dude’s raked in ~$3bn in bribes since retaking office.
It sounds similar.
IANAL
-a gift
-foreign owned
-and the initial US owner would be the US government
If it's a condition of accepting the gift as some form of a contract it implies the purpose is bribery.
JD said ordo amoris means we put our fellow US citizens first
Trump, obviously more spiritually mature, takes the widebody view
I hope the right wing theocrats on SCOTUS have insomnia every night for as long as they live.
Don’t know why ABC is pitching this as exclusive when details have been known for a while.
There’s a legit oversight issue with Boeing.
Of course, THAT could be an advantage IMO
BREAKING: TRUMP FREEZES THE IRS, 45,000 AGENTS TO BE FIRED! President Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bent announce a 90-day IRS freeze to investigate fraud ..
I have a feeling the Qataris spent a lot of time in the bathroom at Mar-a-log-o.
The American Empire has fallen.
In 2017 Saudi officials danced with Trump while touching a glowing ball. Now the Qutaris bribe Trump with a $400 million luxury jet!
They basically employ slave labor from developing countries to do all the work in the country.
Qataris don’t work, except for obligations to the state.
Near the top of the global human rights watch list.
Such nice people. Just the kind who orange moron likes to love.
Why are we paying for this?
We're used to Watergate-like stuff where they do all the bad stuff in secret.
Because Trump does it openly, people think it must be okay. 😑
But she didn’t predicate the gift on Rutherford getting to take it home after he left office.
(Also note the contrast between the ABC News and Fox search pages, where the latter doesn't allow sorting by Relevance/Most Recent, as one would expect for readers seeking news coverage.)
- by Jonathan Turley
"George Aref Nader"
I have accepted
the jet
that the qataris
offered
and which
you were probably
thinking
is a bribe
forgive me
it's a flying palace
and Pam Bondi
says it's totally cool
The "gifts'' are never-ending, cha ching!
Two doll Donnie.
I expect some Cirque de Soleil-level interviews
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
As if that matters...