THE GILDED AGE IS HERE. FOR TRUMP ANYWAY

Trump swanky plane tribute chatter increasing. The possible transfer of a flying palace for temporary use as Air Force One is currently under consideration between Qatar’s Ministry of Defense and the U.S. Department of Defense. A ‘loan’ for use by the Trump administration. Then to be turned over to the archives for display at the Trump library? But apparently will also be available for post-president use, on the taxpayers’ dime. The disingenuous protestations that this is in no way inappropriate is laughable. The Trump organization does business with Quatar. Trump family members do a lot of business with the Saudis. Trump business interests are intertwined with the Middle East in a myriad of ways. To try and make it appear that this ‘gift’ is in no way intended to curry favor is nonsense. 
WH press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the potential arrangement and said the administration is not concerned that the Qatari government would expect favors in exchange for the plane. 
“Absolutely not, because they know President Trump, and they know he only works with the interests of the American public in mind,” Leavitt said during a Fox News interview. Oh good grief. “It’s so plain what’s going on here — they want to put a $400 million aircraft in the hands of Trump to scratch his itch,” said an ex-ethics counsel for the WH, back in the day when they had such. This would probably be the largest gift given to a U.S. president by a foreign government in modern history. 
The emoluments clause that presidents cannot take the equivalent of 400 million bucks in cash from a foreign government was so important that it’s the ONLY ethics and conflicts rule that was put directly in the Constitution by the founders and the framers. 
 This is not simply another constituent complaint about Trump. This is a constituent complaint about a president being allowed to create the appearance of corruption, and working out ‘deals’ because he wants a new ride. And to try and convince we the people that it’s not what it looks like is another example of how far out of touch this administration is with everything America is supposed to stand for. And we don’t stand for a king riding around in a flying palace while we prep for a potential economic apocalypse that he is responsible for in our own lives. He only works for the interests of the American people. That’s a laugh.