In response to Trump accepting a $400 million luxury jet from Qatar, DNC Chair Ken Martin released the following statement: 

“While Donald Trump is pushing through a massive tax scam to take money out of the pockets of working people to give handouts to billionaires, he’s enriching himself with a $400 million luxury jet. And when reporters confronted him about his corruption, Trump threw a tantrum, attacked the reporter, and threatened to investigate them. Make no mistake: Trump is selling out the American people to the highest bidder.” 

NEW: Donald Trump accepted a $400 million luxury jet from Qatar — which may be the “biggest foreign gift ever.”

New York Times: “U.S. Formally Accepts Luxury Jet From Qatar for Trump” 

ABC News: “In what may be the most valuable gift ever extended to the United States from a foreign government, the Trump administration is preparing to accept a super luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from the royal family of Qatar — a gift that is to be available for use by President Donald Trump as the new Air Force One until shortly before he leaves office, at which time ownership of the plane will be transferred to the Trump presidential library foundation, sources familiar with the proposed arrangement told ABC News. …

“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. …

“According to aviation industry experts, the estimated value of the aircraft Trump will inherit is about $400 million …”

When asked about the jet, Trump threw a tantrum, attacked the reporter, and threatened to investigate their outlet. 

Reporter: “The Pentagon announced that it would be accepting a Qatari jet to be used as Air Force One—” 

Trump: “What are you talking about? No. What are you talking about? You know, you ought to get out of here. What does this have to do with the Qatari jet? They’re giving the United States Air Force a jet, okay, and it’s a great thing. We’re talking about a lot of other things. It’s NBC trying to get off the subject of what you just saw. You are a real— you know, you’re a terrible reporter. Number one, you don’t have what it takes to be a reporter. You’re not smart enough. … Go back — you ought to go back to your studio at NBC because Brian Roberts and the people that run that place, they ought to be investigated. They are so terrible the way you run that network, and you’re a disgrace. No more questions from you.”  

REMINDER: Trump gutted anti-corruption enforcement on Day One and installed a loyalist in key oversight positions while enriching himself and his billionaire Cabinet. 

Associated Press: “[Trump is] opening his second term by rolling back prohibitions on executive branch employees accepting major gifts from lobbyists, and ditching bans on lobbyists seeking executive branch jobs or vice versa … 

“Trump issued a Day 1 executive order that rescinded one on ethics that former President Joe Biden signed when he took office in January 2021.” 

CBS News: “President Trump on Monday removed the director of the Office of Government Ethics, the independent agency responsible for overseeing ethics rules and financial disclosures for the executive branch. …

“Mr. Trump [tapped] Doug Collins, a Republican former member of Congress and current Department of Veterans Affairs secretary, to be the acting director of OGE.”  

Vox: “Trump’s for-profit presidency” 

New York Times: “The move by Mr. Trump and his family was immediately condemned by ethics lawyers who said they could not recall a more explicit profiteering effort by an incoming president.

“‘It is literally cashing in on the presidency — creating a financial instrument so people can transfer money to the president’s family in connection with his office’ said Adav Noti, executive director of Campaign Legal Center, a nonprofit ethics group. ‘It is beyond unprecedented.’”

Trump has also opened up the White House for sale — hosting a private dinner for his ultra-wealthy meme coin holders.

Bloomberg: “More than half of the top holders of President Donald Trump’s memecoin — who are jockeying for dinner with the president — have used foreign exchanges that say they ban US users, suggesting that many of the purchasers are based outside the US.

“Buyers of the Trump token, a cryptocurrency the president began marketing days before his inauguration, drove sales higher in the past two weeks after its issuers announced an unprecedented promotion: More than 200 of the memecoin’s largest holders would be invited to attend a May 22 dinner with Trump at his Virginia golf club, while the top 25 would qualify for an exclusive reception beforehand and what the memecoin’s website describes as a ‘VIP’ tour.”

NBC News: “Meet the man — once sued by the SEC — who won the crypto contest to have dinner with the president”

“Critics have blasted the dinner contest as potentially unconstitutional and a blatant opportunity for corruption.”

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