Trump and his kids alliance with Saudi Prince Mohammed Bin Salmon looked suspicious of corruption and emolluments violations. However, no investigations or indictments have ever materialized by efforts by the U.S. Dept. of Justice. Trump has tested the omnipotence of the power if the presidency and it appears he has proven the president is above the law. Once Trump became president and the Saudi riches were dangled in his face, he became a supporter of the Prince and everything he stood for. Prior to becoming president, Trump wasn’t a big fan of Bin Salman prior to becoming the. U.S. president.
An epic flip-flopper on many issues, Trump did a 180 flip flop on the Saudi’s after being elected. An April 11, 2022 article in the Washington Post cited criticisms of the Saudi’s such as:
- He saw the kingdom as a prime example of U.S. foreign policy cozying up to nefarious allies of convenience
- In 1987: Trump paid nearly $100,000 for ads in major newspapers, criticizing Saudi Arabia, among other countries, for taking advantage of American patronage.
- 1999: Trump appears on Fox News and accuses the Saudis of being bad partners.
- 2004: Trump tells Playboy that “the Saudi government would be overthrown in about 15 seconds if we weren’t protecting them.”
- In 2008, Trump suggested the Saudis provided a haven for Osama bin Laden.
- In 2012, he criticized Obama by saying, “Do we still want a President who bows to the Saudis and lets OPEC rip us off.?”
- 2013: He accuses the Saudis of turning down a seat on the U.N. Security Council because “they don’t want responsibility. Just have us do their heavy lifting.”
However, Trump’s addiction to money was triggered once he realized how he could the presidency for financial gains for himself and his family.
Once he took office, Trump stopped criticizing the Saudi’s, treated them like royalty and even defended them after the brutal murder of U.S. resident journalist Jamal Khashoggi. In the same way Trump kissed up to Putin in his pursuit of making a deal for a Trump Tower to be built in Moscow, Trump kissed up to Mohammed Bin Salman for potential financial gains for his businesses. However, the Washington Post reports that the Saudi’s never delivered anything of value to the Trump’s until the $2 billion investment they made to Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partner’s private equity firm soon after Trump lost re-election. Additionally, the Saudi’s have invested in ventures involving Ivanka Trump.
Republican hypocrisy is blatant on the issue of family members of presidents profiting from their political pedigree. Public cries of corruption about Hunter Biden are pervasive in GOP media and political circles. At the same time, Jared and Ivanka’s financial benefits from the Saudis and other countries go unmentioned or applauded by Republicans. MAGA cultists are a lost cause. However, independent voters and traditional Republicans should grow a spine and stop supporting the corruption and degradation of our democracy by the vapid, opportunistic Trump family. Please find a new candidate to support who will protect, not assault, our democracy.
