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Abe Lincoln was offered a herd of elephants. In 1880, Queen Victoria sent President Rutherford Hayes a beautiful desk made from the salvaged timbers of the HMS Resolute (which is still used in the Oval Office). Richard Nixon was gifted some pandas from China, which went on to live at the National Zoo. Gifts to presidents are a long (and sometimes awkward) tradition. But there are rules: the President must disclose any personal gift from a foreign government that’s over $480 and can’t keep it for himself unless he pays fair market value. The Emoluments Clause of the Constitution prohibits any foreign gifts without the OK of Congress.
However, where there are rules, Donald Trump simply breaks or ignores them. The latest example? Trying to justify a “gift” of a $400 million dollar luxury plane from Qatar. It’s an obvious bribe and poses a serious national security problem, but here we are.
Like a Temu Saddam, Trump has always had the taste of a mid-level, third world dictator. He craves anything gaudy, and the plane is no exception. He also craves riches in any other form; the presidency provides this convicted fraudster and tax cheat unlimited ways to cash in, and boy howdy, is he ever taking advantage.
In just the first three months of his current administration, he and his family have earned three BILLION dollars. He’s traded up from his Rube-Level grift of cheap gold sneakers, Bibles, and trading cards to selling access to foreign interests. Recently, he offered buyers of his $TRUMP meme coin, a chance at a private dinner with him, raising $140 million in just a few days. Crypto is infamous for being basically untraceable, thereby making it a prime way to funnel money in unscrupulous ways. And Trump has turned being “unscrupulous” into an art form.
The penalty for violating the Emoluments Clause is impeachment, but in this divided political environment, good luck with that. Until we have a Congress or justice system willing to put some teeth into enforcing laws about corruption and graft, Trump will keep adding to his presidential Man Cave and putting our national security at risk.
Cindy Grogan is a writer, lover of history and "Star Trek" (TOS), and hardcore politics junkie. There was that one time she campaigned for Gerald Ford (yikes), but ever since, she's been devoted to Democratic and progressive policies.
