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 @ISIDEWITHNewsU.S.Air Force OneethicsQatarUnited StatesUS politicscorruptionTrump•••1mo ago

Trump Faces Backlash Over $400M 'Flying Palace' Jet Gift From Qatar

Former President Donald Trump is under fire for considering the acceptance of a $400 million luxury Boeing 747 jet, dubbed a 'flying palace,' from Qatar. Critics, including Democratic lawmakers and some Trump allies, argue that accepting such an extravagant gift raises significant legal and ethical concerns, with many calling it a blatant act of corruption. Trump has publicly defended his position and lashed out at media outlets questioning the propriety of the gift. The controversy centers on whether the jet is a legitimate diplomatic gesture or a personal bribe. The debate highlights ongoing concerns about political ethics and foreign influence in U.S. politics.

3 Replies

 @Ind3pendentHazelProgressive from South Carolina  commented…1mo1MO

This is exactly why we need stricter rules on politicians taking gifts from foreign governments—this kind of blatant corruption just proves the system is rigged for the wealthy and powerful.

 @ISIDEWITHlinked…1mo1MO

Trump's eye on Qatar's $400M luxury jet is already causing a stir

https://nbcnewyork.com

Democratic lawmakers and Trump allies have criticized the purported move, saying the lavish nature of the gift raises serious legal and ethical concerns.

 @ISIDEWITHlinked…1mo1MO

Trump’s $400 million ‘flying palace’ bribe from Qatar is just plane corruption

https://al.com

The luxury Boeing 747 is not a gift to America from Qatar. It’s a gawdy grift plane to Trump. A bribe. It’s just plane ol’ corruption. Trump is giddy to replace the 40 year-old Air Force One with this new golden hog ‘flying palace.’

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 @ISIDEWITH submitted…7mos7MO

No One’s Safe: Trump’s ‘Border Czar’ Homan Promises Sweeping Deportation Operation

TOM COTTON is slated to be the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, putting “I think mass deportation is just talk, but the era of open borders will be over,” Scott McConnell, a co-founder of The American Conservative, wrote on X. In July a Mexican-born Trump backer told The Times, “Last time, he didn’t even finish the wall. What’s he going to do this time?”Now the answer is taking shape: He’s going to oversee a militarized mass roundup of the undocumented. On Sunday, Trump named Tom Homan, his former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as “border czar.”In a speech to this year’s National Conservatism Conference, Homan, who oversaw Trump’s family separation policy, promised a “historic deportation operation” from which no undocumented immigrant would be safe. “No one’s off the table in the next administration,” he said. “If you’re here illegally, you better be looking over your shoulder.”Then, on Monday, Trump named the obsessively anti-immigrant Stephen Miller as his deputy chief of staff. Miller’s portfolio, Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan reported in The Times, “is expected to be vast and to far exceed what the eventual title will convey.” Miller has been forthright about his desire to purge immigrants here illegally, as well as many here legally, from the United States.Among other things, Miller has said that Trump would cancel the temporary protected status of thousands of Afghans who fled here after the Taliban’s takeover and take another stab at ending DACA, the program that protects from deportation some immigrants brought to the United States as children.Most significantly, he’s laid out plans to use National Guard troops to help arrest migrants en masse, warehousing them in military camps while they await deportation. No one should be shocked when this happens. I suspect some will be anyway.

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 @ISIDEWITH submitted…7mos7MO

Hegseth Out, DeSantis In? Trump Rethinks Defense Pick

President-elect Donald Trump is considering Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as a possible replacement for Pete Hegseth, his pick to run the Pentagon, according to people familiar with the discussions, amid Republican senators’ concerns over mounting allegations about the former Fox News host’s personal life.Picking DeSantis, a 2024 GOP primary rival for the presidency, would amount to a stunning turn for Trump. But he would also find in the governor a well-known conservative with a service record who shares Trump’s—and Hegseth’s—view on culling what they see as “woke” policies in the military.Trump allies increasingly think Hegseth might not survive further scrutiny, according to people close to the president-elect’s team, which considers the next 48 hours to be crucial to his fate.DeSantis, who served as a Navy lawyer in Iraq and the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, was on an earlier list of potential defense-secretary candidates that transition officials presented to the president. Trump ultimately went with Hegseth. But as Hegseth’s nomination has faltered, that list has been revived and DeSantis is again among the choices Trump is considering, the people said.The discussions are in their early stages, one of the people said, adding that Trump has floated DeSantis’s name in casual conversations with guests at Mar-a-Lago, his private Florida club.Trump could decide not to choose DeSantis and select another replacement, if Hegseth’s nomination falls apart, the people said. Another potential defense-secretary candidate who has been discussed by Trump allies, according to people familiar with the matter, is Elbridge Colby, a former Pentagon official and ally of Vice President-elect JD Vance. Trump is also considering Sen. Joni Ernst (R., Iowa) for the job, some of the people said.DeSantis was once seen as an acolyte of Trump but his decision to challenge the former president in the 2024 GOP primary began a conflict between them, with Trump casting DeSantis as disloyal. Trump easily prevailed in the primary and friends of the two have worked to repair the relationship.

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