A-Grifting-We-Will-Go
Trump is headed to a four day business meeting in the Mideast on Monday.
Whose business? America's of course!
Pay no attention to that Trump Tower in Dubai behind the curtain.
Or the Trump Tower he has planned in Saudi Arabia, either.
Or the Trump golf resort with the villas he is building in Qatar.
And of course, this has NOTHING to do with the Trump Riviera Resort in Gaza that seems to have hit a snag...
OR the luxurious "flying palace" that's being "gifted" to him by Qatar.
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The Washington Post reports that “Trump leaves Monday for a four-day trip to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, a mission that is expected to focus heavily on business deals and new investments from the oil-rich region.
“Trump does not plan to visit Israel during the trip despite its proximity, a snub to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“The Saudi government has wanted assistance from Washington for its civilian nuclear program, and it has long sought expanded defense cooperation as well. U.S. diplomats have floated those concessions as carrots in exchange for Riyadh’s normalization of relations with Israel, but Saudi demands for a pathway to a Palestinian state are likely to keep a Saudi-Israel deal out of reach for now.”
[It also throws a wrench into the Trump and Netanyahu plan to exile the Palestinians and raze Gaza for a luxury seaside resort, which Trump plans to own. He had said he would welcome Arab investors.]
“Before Trump heads to a summit of leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council, a Saudi-U.S. business conference will take place in Riyadh.
“Top U.S. business executives will also take part in the Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum. Those expected to attend include BlackRock’s chairman and chief executive, Larry Fink; Citigroup chief executive Jane Fraser; and IBM’s chairman, president and CEO, Arvind Krishna.
“The trip comes just as Trump’s family business expands into some of the same areas where the president will be traveling. Over the past week, the Trump Organization has announced new projects that include a large hotel and tower in Dubai and a golf course outside Doha, the capital of Qatar.
“The projects are moving forward in partnership with Dar Global, a real estate firm that is ALSO partnering with the Trump Organization on other projects in Saudi Arabia.
“The Trump International Hotel & Tower in Dubai, which was announced on April 30, is to occupy 80 floors and contain a members-only club “set to redefine the meaning of exclusive luxury,” according to marketing materials.
“The Trump International Golf Course outside Doha, announced May 1, will include an 18-hole course, a clubhouse and high-end villas with access to the beach.
“That project is part of a development overseen by Qatari Diar, a real estate authority run by the Qatari government.
“The Trump Organization had pledged to not enter into any new agreements with foreign governments while Trump is in office.” (The Washington Post)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/05/11/trump-mideast-trip/
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Asked at a White House briefing Friday about whether Trump’s businesses would profit from the trip, Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said:
“It’s frankly ridiculous that anyone in this room would even suggest that President Trump is doing anything for his own benefit. He left a life of luxury and a life of running a very successful real estate empire for public service.”
She added: “This is a President who has actually lost money for being President of the United States.”
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Apparently Press Barbie forgot about the $2.9 BILLION Trump has recently added to his fortune, thanks to his dabbling in Crypto, including the release of the $TRUMP and $MELANIA meme coins, according to CBS News.
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Trump will also be coming back to the US with a gift from the Royal Family of Qatar - a luxurious jet fitted out like an airborn palace.
The Associated Press reports that Trump will accept a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet as a gift [technically, to the Pentagon] during his trip to the Middle East this coming week to be converted into a new Air Force One.
ABC News reports that Trump will use the aircraft at his presidential plane until shortly before he leaves office in January 2029, when ownership will be transferred to the foundation overseeing his yet-to-be-built presidential library.
So. It will be upgraded to Air Force One capability at taxpayer expense - our expense - and then he will get to take it home with him as a parting gift. Cool.
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OH BY THE WAY - “Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, who served as a chief Middle East negotiator in Trump’s first term and built deep relationships with leaders in the region, has been informally advising administration officials on negotiations with Arab leaders, multiple Trump administration officials and people close to Kushner tell CNN.
"Though Kushner is unlikely to join Trump on the trip, he has been heavily involved in discussions with Arab nations, including Saudi Arabia, about signing agreements that would normalize diplomatic relations with Israel, the sources said." (CNN)
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Of course, Jared has not needed to work for Trump this second term, since he got a lovely $2 billion dollar "investment" from the Saudi prince the moment he and Trump left office.
We can be sure he did NOTHING shady for the prince. Really. The Trump and Kushner have always been totally above board with their business practices, and Jared's investment company is certainly the same.
Even though "The private equity firm run by Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of former President Donald J. Trump, has been paid at least $112 million in fees since 2021 by Saudi Arabia and other foreign investors, even though as of July it had not yet returned any profits to the governments largely bankrolling the firm." (The New York Times 9/25/24)
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/25/us/politics/kushner-private-equity-saudi-arabia.html
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SO WHAT DO THESE COUNTRIES WANT FROM TRUMP IN RETURN FOR ALL THIS GENEROSITY?
Glad you asked.
“Gulf States are looking for reassurance of the US security commitment to the Gulf’s stability. Trump has many priorities and has been known to lose interest quickly … and they want to keep him engaged,” said one official.
CNN reports that last year, the US and Saudi Arabia came close to finalizing a landmark defense and trade pact – but the deal stalled over Saudi insistence that Israel commit to a path toward Palestinian statehood.
“Saudi Arabia is also seeking US cooperation to develop a civil nuclear program, but there are concerns by Israel that the uranium could be used for nuclear weapons.
“The UAE sees a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become a significant contributor in AI and advanced technology. But it won’t be easy for Abu Dhabi to achieve its stated goal of becoming a global leader in AI by 2031 without advanced American microchips.
“In March, the UAE announced a $1.4 trillion investment plan over 10 years focused on AI, semiconductors, manufacturing, and energy. Its existing US investments already total $1 trillion, according to its embassy in Washington.
“Qatar is the Gulf Arab nation with the most formalized security ties with the US. It hosts the biggest US military installation in the Middle East, which the State Department describes as “indispensable” for US military operations in the region.
“Last year, the US quietly reached an agreement that extends its military presence at the sprawling base in Qatar for another 10 years.
“Qatar also maintains close ties with Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, who has been on a quest to relieve his country of years-long sanctions by the West.
“Syria is expected to be a key issue that Qatar will raise with Trump when he visits, and is pushing the Trump administration to lift sanctions on Syria.
“So expect big announcements,” an official said. (CNN)
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/trump-is-visiting-three-of-the-world-s-richest-nations-here-s-what-s-on-their-wish-list/ar-AA1Ez5NP?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=0f3dd55709164711ef7ee06e4d22fbb7&ei=19
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BTW - For no particular reason, it should be mentioned that none of these countries have an extradition treaty with the USA - just in case an American citizen ever wanted to retire there, in the luxury to which he is accustomed.
Picture: Eric Trump with a model of the planned golf resort in Doha, the capital of Qatar (AFP/Getty Images)
