Trump accepts gift (grift) of $400 million flying palace from QATAR to replace "dilapidated" Air Force One

At a recent interview with Kristen Walker on NBC's Meet the Press, President Trump was asked, when the subject of due process was being discussed, "Don't you, as the President of the United States, need to uphold its constitution?

- BY KUMAR DE SILVA

Trump, who had taken the oath to uphold the constitution on two presidential inaugurations, said, amazingly, "I don't know".

The foreign emoluments clause of Article 1, Section 9, Paragraph 8 of the Constitution states: "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 Congress, accept any present, emolument, office, or any title, of any kind whatsoever, from any King, Prince or foreign state".

Trump is at present on the first overseas trip of his second term, covering Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, nations where he has significant private business interests worth billions of dollars, in Trump Towers, golf courses and cryptocurrency deals; where the necessity ofpersonally maintaining the geopolitical balance of these corrupt business deals, which have more than tripled since his first presidential term, takes precedence over any matters of national interest.

Matters of national interest like the pursuit of a peace process which will bring about the cessation of hostilities between Israel and the terrorist groups of Hamas and the Houthis, ending the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza. A humanitarian crisis surely of more urgency than meetings with sponsors of international corruption and terrorism, or a gift of a palace in the sky.

On the eve of the first overseas trip of his second term, Trump confirmed, once again, his apathy towards the constitution, when he decided to accept a $400 million luxury airplane as a gift from the Qatari royal family. A 13-year-old plane, hitherto used by the Emir of Qatar, touted as a palace in the sky. A palace, though considered not good enough for the Qatar royalty, and gifted basically as a 13-year-old hand-me-down to the President of the United States of America.