From Peanut Farms to Private Jets: How Trump Burned the Emoluments Rulebook

Trump’s second term isn’t just repeating the past—it’s exploiting the failure to stop it.

May 13, 2025

Headlines for the last few days have been full of the story. President Donald Trump is poised to accept a $400 million Boeing 747-8 aircraft from the Qatari royal family. The jet, described as a "palace in the sky," is intended for temporary use as Air Force One and later as an exhibit in Trump's presidential library. While the administration asserts that the gift is to the U.S. government, critics argue that it raises serious ethical and constitutional questions.

Are these the right questions? Or is the gig already up, actions emboldened by decades of oversight and enforcement degradation?

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MAGA Voices Express Unease

As expected, Democrats and legal experts are raising the alarm. Less expected? The condemnation from Trump’s die-hard base.

Even staunch Trump supporters have voiced discomfort. Conservative commentator Laura Loomer stated:

"I love President Trump. I would take a bullet for him. But I have to call a spade a spade. We cannot accept a $400 million 'gift' from jihadists in suits. The Qataris fund the same Iranian proxies in Hamas and Hezbollah who have murdered US Service Members. The same proxies that have worked with the Mexican cartels to get jihadists across our border. This is really going to be such a stain on the admin if this is true. I'm so disappointed."

Similarly, conservative radio host Erick Erickson remarked:

"The Qatari government is not our friend... Qatar has been a safe haven for Hamas... It has funded jihadists around the world... It has funded the antisemitic protests on college campuses... Qatar has funded jihadists who have kidnapped and murdered Americans."

Legal and Ethical Concerns

Legal experts warn that accepting such a gift could violate the Constitution's Foreign Emoluments Clause, which prohibits federal officials from accepting gifts from foreign states without Congressional approval. The exact text reads:

“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.”

Emoluments at the time of the clause were defined as a profit, benefit, or advantage of any kind, a term chosen to be intentionally broad in scope.

Robert Weissman, co-president of Public Citizen, likened the situation to:

“If the Qataris gave $400 million in cash to Trump and told him to keep it under his bed until 2029, when he could spend it freely.”

Despite these concerns, the DOJ has determined the gift does not violate the clause because it is being routed through the U.S. government. However, the optics, coupled with Trump’s Gulf business dealings, are unmistakable.

Qatar's Position

Qatar has publicly stated that the gift has not been finalized and is under legal review. A spokesperson said, “Reports that a jet is being gifted... are inaccurate. The possible transfer... is currently under consideration... but the matter remains under review.”

Financial Implications for Taxpayers

Regardless of its legal status, U.S. taxpayers would be responsible for retrofitting and maintaining the aircraft. If it eventually ends up in Trump's presidential library—a private entity—it raises profound questions about who really benefits from the arrangement.

How Gifts are Traditionally Handled

Elected officials and their staff are regularly presented with gifts from foreign dignitaries. These are accepted with the following official reasoning: “Non-acceptance would cause embarrassment to donor and U.S. Government.”

Over time, a complex but organized structure has been established to accommodate the gifting tradition without violating ethical standards.

The table below shows how gifts from foreign governments are typically handled under federal ethics rules.

Compare this to how Trump approaches gifts and emoluments.

Why the Emoluments Clause Can’t Save Us

The Emoluments Clause sounds powerful. But in practice, it’s become one of the most ineffective parts of the Constitution—not because it’s unclear, but because no one enforces it.

During Trump’s first term, three major lawsuits were filed over alleged emoluments violations. None reached a ruling on the merits. All were dismissed for procedural reasons, especially lack of standing. No one, apparently, had the authority to stop it.

And Congress? Constitutionally, it's supposed to approve or deny any foreign gift. But it never acted—not once. The result is a loophole so wide it’s become a red carpet: if no one stops it, it isn’t illegal.

The Great Abdication: How Congress Gave Up Its Power

There’s a bitter irony here. The U.S. fought WWII to defeat authoritarianism, yet that war also planted the seeds of unchecked executive power. FDR centralized authority for the war effort. After the war, Congress codified it, creating the CIA, the National Security Council, and a sprawling national security apparatus that presidents came to control.

Over time, Congress willingly handed over power:

During Vietnam.
After 9/11.
Through endless national emergencies.

Meanwhile, members of Congress became careerists, more loyal to donors and party than to their constitutional role. They stopped enforcing oversight even when it was screamingly obvious it was needed.

Trump 1.0: The Missed Reckoning

When Trump took office, he refused to divest from his businesses. Past presidents like Jimmy Carter placed family farms in blind trusts to avoid even the appearance of impropriety. Trump ignored that entirely and got away with it.

The Kuwaiti Embassy hosted events at his hotel.
Saudi, Malaysian, Turkish, and Chinese officials funneled money through his properties.
His company pursued trademarks and leases with foreign governments.

Every bit of it was visible. And none of it was punished.

The lawsuits? Dismissed.
Congress? Silent.

What Trump learned was simple: precedent doesn’t matter if no one is willing to enforce it.

Trump 2.0: Corruption Accelerated

Now, in his second term, Trump has returned, not to govern, but to capitalize.

A Presidency That Still Pays

His allies launched the $TRUMP crypto coin, worth billions.
UAE-backed investors dropped $2 billion into a Trump-affiliated crypto exchange.
Qatar's $400 million jet may soon sit in his library, refurbished with public money.
Foreign developers are floating new Trump towers in places like Damascus.

He’s turned the presidency into a business model.

Executive Orders at Warp Speed

But he didn’t stop at enriching himself. Trump had allies to repay for placing him in power. And he wasted no time carrying out their agenda, with prewritten executive orders from Project 2025. These orders:

Gut agency independence,
Expand presidential control,
Weaken civil rights enforcement.

And they were issued so quickly, there was no chance for real oversight.

Sidestepping Congress by Design

Congress isn’t part of this plan. It’s an obstacle to be ignored. Trump doesn’t ask permission. He acts and dares the system to keep up.

The Strategy is Clear

Trump isn’t governing. He’s executing a playbook, one built on the failures of the system he already broke. He’s using time, precedent, and partisanship to stay ahead of accountability and to enrich himself and his allies.

Even symbolic gifts reinforce the point. Putin gave Trump a custom portrait celebrating his “bravery.” Meanwhile, the Obamas refused even modest gifts, including keepsakes offered by the British royal family, to avoid conflicts of interest.

Trump turned every interaction into a transaction.

If We Survive This, A Reckoning Must Follow

If the United States survives another Trump term, it will not be because our institutions held. It will be because they were lucky. That luck will run out.

Guardrails Must Become Law

Mandatory presidential divestment.
Enforceable emoluments laws.
Congressional review of all foreign gifts.
Penalties for profiting off public office.

Congress Must Reclaim Its Role

Restore oversight.
Rein in executive overreach.
Empower whistleblowers and transparency.

The Public Must Learn What’s Been Lost

Civic education must return, watchdogs must be empowered, and journalism must be protected. The next strongman will be smarter, quieter, and faster.

The time for observers has passed. If this country survives Trump 2.0, the only way forward is through action by citizens, lawmakers, and institutions alike. There is no neutral ground left.