It is unclear at this time if Donald J. Trump, the President of the United States, knows what Air Force One contains. Actually, other than furnishings, it is unclear if he even cares. Apparently, in his mind anyway--to paraphrase an old Billy Crystal bit--It's better to look good than be good.
Combine Trump's complete lack of security concerns with a seemingly blissful ignorance of how the presidency is supposed to work is it any wonder he considers a refitted, 13 year old jumbo jet a perfect tribute from the royal family of Qatar. The idea that some national crisis might have to be immediately addressed while he is at 30,000 feet somewhere over the fucking Atlantic Ocean is utterly alien to him. As long as the interior of the plane has all the overstated posh glitz he revels in, he's fine with it.
Besides, it's free, right? Well, no. Some estimates of the cost to get the aircraft thoroughly checked for any listening and tracking devices, then up to spec for a traveling communications center, plus install onboard security measures will cause the American taxpayers to pay more than the plane is worth, gold trim and all. Not to mention that when Trump is finally out of office the reported plan isn't for him to leave it for subsequent Presidents, but to have it become an exhibit at the Trump Presidential Library. (Just where that library will be remains a mystery, but it's doubtful any site will have a runway, or hangar.)
No, the most likely scenario is that when Donald Trump leaves the White House--if he ever does--he will claim the plane, just like those documents down in Mar-A-Lago, is his and his alone. One can hear him howling right now, "But it's mine," when someone says otherwise. Hell, he already has his Attorney General, Pam Bondi in on the deal. She has publicly stated it will be legal if he pulls such a scam. The fact she owes her job to Donald Trump and once was a paid lobbyist for Qatar probably has nothing to do with her decision, although, some cynics might suggest it does.
But wait, as the TV ads say, there is more.
What everyone might be missing here during the last few days is that Donald Trump's gilded flying palace--while certainly the most obvious act of corruption--isn't the most lucrative scam he and his family have been running. Before the President even arrived in the Middle East his sons, Don Jr. and Eric were there warming up the crowd. Greasing the wheels as it were. Yes, nearly ignored thanks to the used plane deal, the Trump Org. (ie. the Trump family) struck deals involving luxury hotels, a Qatari golf course--because you know how much Arabs love to play golf--and most importantly, heavy duty investments in the family's newest, favorite, grift, crypto currency.
That would be the practice of spending millions of dollars on something that inherently isn't worth anything. It doesn't make anything, sell anything other than itself, or possibly even exist except on a computer screen. (Excuse me if I got that wrong. Like a whole lot of other people when it comes to crypto currency, meme coins, and the like I don't understand any of it, especially the appeal, or value.) However, given the nature of the product, as such, the people profiting off of it and their power, the word, bribery does come to mind.
Maybe that explains the President's sudden lifting of sanctions against Syria and willingness to cozy up with Iran. It might even explain his gushing description of Syrian President, Ahmed al-Sharaa. The other day Trump called, al-Sharaa a good looking guy, among other compliments. Previously, during his first administration, Trump had called him a terrorist and had slapped his mug on a wanted poster which read, "REWARD, $10 MILLION, DEAD OR ALIVE."
Hey, circumstances change, especially when there are millions and millions involved. And of course, at times like these it's best not to ask too many questions. After all, cash from Qatar spends just as well as cash from Saudi Arabia. So why bring up edgy stuff like the financial support Hamas receives from the same people who just gave our man a pre-owned plane, or the murder and dismemberment of a journalist by the government who is building the new Trump Thousand and One Nights Hotel. (Souvenir and Coffee Shops in the lobby.)
Indeed, with Donald Trump business is politics and politics is business, they are both intertwined in a weird type of Gordian Knot. And in the end we can be sure of only one thing. No body in the United States of America makes money until Don Trump makes money. Okay, that and one other thing. While Greenland isn't for sale, Donald Trump's power and influence most certainly is.
5-15-25
I cannot recall anything as bald-faced as this "gift" of an airplane to the president. I recall, after the humble Jimmy Carter left office, Reagan's admirers celebrated him bringing the stretch limo back into fashion. Well, I wonder what they would think about this?
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