Eric Bazail-Eimil and Robbie Gramer report that “GOP heavyweights join bipartisan bashing of Trump Qatar jet deal” at Politico, and quote criticism of the deal by leading Republicans: Senate Majority Leader John Thune; Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.); Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tx); MAGA loyalist Laura Loomer; and Podcaster Ben Shapiro. The criticism is fairly mild, but presents a significant departure from rubber-stamping anything Trump does. Democrats were less hesitant to use more direct language to spell out reasons for opposing the deal. As the post authors quote Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Ct.) from his post on X: “This isn’t a good idea even if the plane was being donated to the U.S. government. But Trump GETS TO KEEP THE PLANE???”… “It’s simply a cash payment to Trump in exchange for favors. Just wildly illegal.” Also, “We don’t know what kind of bugs might be put in that aircraft,” Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) told CNN on Tuesday. “We know that Air Force One is more than just a plane. It’s also got secure communications.” The post authors add that “modifying it to make it usable would come with a hefty price tag of hundreds of millions of dollars. According to lawmakers and former Air Force officials, the plane would need to be rebuilt to make sure it does not have any bugs hidden in its hardware and so that the military can install needed secure communications and security technologies on the plane.” the U.S. Constitution says in article I, section 9, clause 8 that “No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.” It is clearly a good issue for demonstrating Trump’s arrogance toward the Constitution.
At The New Republic, Alex Shephard writes in “America Has Never Seen a President This Corrupt” that “…Trump isn’t visiting the Middle East to push for peace or really to do much diplomacy at all. Instead, his visit to the Persian Gulf is, one Arab official told Axios, all about “business, business and business.” Yes, Trump is seeking investment in America…But one increasingly gets the sense that it’s not America’s business that Trump is really there for: It’s his family businesses. This swing through three Gulf states, which kicked off on Monday, is the clearest and most damning instance yet of his approach to governance in his second term, where official business and personal business are fully intertwined…Trump’s trip was tainted by massive, historic corruption even before it began, when it was revealed that he would accept a “palace in the sky”—a luxury Boeing 747-8 worth $400 million—from Qatar, which he plans on using as Air Force One…Plus, the Defense Department isn’t really getting the gift: Trump has indicated he plans on transferring the jet to his presidential library foundation at the end of his term, which likely means he can keep using it after he leaves office…Trump’s businesses have extensive ties in the Gulf, particularly Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar (as well as nearby Azerbaijan)…Trump’s visit to the Gulf is following in the footsteps of his sons, Eric and Donald Jr. The pair have been jaunting across the region drumming up business, and in recent weeks “announced new overseas business deals involving billions of dollars, including a luxury hotel in Dubai, a high-end residential tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and a new golf course and villa complex in Qatar,” according to The New York Times…What is happening now is unquestionably the biggest corruption scandal in American history. There are signs that the Democrats are waking up to it. The party recently blocked a bill to regulate stablecoin, one form of cryptocurrency, and are demanding that it include requirements barring elected officials from owning or promoting stablecoin ventures. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, meanwhile, pledged to put a hold on all Department of Justice nominees until “we get more answers” about the Qatari jet. In the meantime, Trump will be jetting around the Middle East making deals for himself and his children—and maybe, just maybe, for the country too.
Some conclusions about “The future of racial equality” from a Pew Research Center survey of 5,097 adults, which was conducted Feb. 10-17, 2025: “In recent years, Americans have become less optimistic about the future of racial equality for Black people. Among those who say the U.S. still has work to do in this area, 51% now say it is very or somewhat likely that Black people will eventually have equal rights with White people. This is down from 60% in September 2020…As was the case five years ago, most White adults (61%) who say the country still has work to do say it’s likely that Black people will eventually have equal rights with White people. This is much larger than the shares of Black (32%), Hispanic (50%) and Asian adults (41%) who say the same…Two-thirds of Black adults who think the country hasn’t made enough progress on racial equality say that eventual equality with White people is not too or not at all likely. About six-in-ten Asian adults (59%) and 49% of Hispanic adults say the same.” For a more in-depth look at the survey, read here.
Max Zahn reports that “Recession warnings fade after Trump rolls back tariffs” at abcnews.com, and notes that “Recession alarms blared across Wall Street in the aftermath of President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariff announcement last month, but a recent trade agreement between the U.S. and China has dialed back many of those warnings…JPMorgan on Tuesday lowered its odds of a recession this year from 60% to below 50%, meaning the U.S. is more likely to grow in 2025 than enter a downturn. Similarly, Goldman Sachs reduced its chances of a recession this year from 45% to 35%…Stock market gains reflected such optimism. The S&P 500 soared in the immediate aftermath of the U.S.-China agreement, shrugging off previous tariff-induced losses and bringing the index into positive territory for 2025.” Democrats who were counting on Trump’s approval ratings sinking to disaster-level numbers may need to reconfigure their strategy options going forward. One thing they should be doing more of, regardless of Trump’s approval ratings, economic trends and other daily news stories, is to work harder at recruiting fresh faces and new voices to run for office. The public image of Democratic stagnation is surely fueling the party’s popularity downturn. Newer and younger candidates with different perspectives can help reverse that trend.