Ethics problems arise as Trump deepens his Middle East ties: “When he leaves the White House, the company is worth more, his personal richness increases”

Washington (AP) – not just the “gesture” of a luxury $ 400 million aircraftDonald TrumpsayIs smartAccept from Qatar. Or that the first destination was effectively auctioned on its first major foreign journey, heading to Saudi Arabia because the kingdom was ready to make great investments in North -American companies.

It is not even that the Trump family has fast -growing commercial links in the Middle East and offer the potential of great benefits.

Instead, it is the idea that the combination of these things and more, the offers showing the close links between a family that the Patriarch supervises the United States government and a region that their leaders are fond of healing their favor through luxury money and gifts, could cause the United States to show a preferential treatment for the Middle East leaders in the case of North American states.

Before Trump began his visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, his sons Eric and Donald Jr. The Middle East had already been widely traveled in recent weeks. Were the business they movedThe Trump organizationthey run to their father’s place while in the White House.

Eric Trump announced plans for an 80 -story Trump Tower in Dubai, the largest city of the United Arab Emirates. He also attended a recent cryptocurrency conference there with Zach Witkoff, founder of the Trump Family Crypto Company,Financial Liberty Worldand Trump’s son, who did everything he did, in Mid-East,Steve Witkoff.

“We are proud to expand our presence in the region,” said Eric Trump last monthIn advertisingThe Trump Dubai tower began construction this fall.

The presidential visit to the region, as their children work the same part of the world for family opportunities in the family, put a look at Trump’s willingness to embrace –Foreign preparation offerWhile he was in the White House, even in the face of the growing concerns that they could tempt him to shape the United States of foreign policy in ways that benefit his family’s background line.

No place may overlap more prevalent than in the Middle East

Trump family business interests in the region include aNew agreement to builda luxury golf complex inQatarAssociating with Qatari Diari, a real estate company endorsed by the country’s sovereign fund of the country. The family is tooLeasing their brandTo two new real estate projects in Riadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, in collaboration with Dar Global, a luxury real estate developer in London and a subsidiary of the Saudi private real estate firm in the Arkan.

The Trump organization has been similarly associated with Dar Global in a Trump Towerestablished to buildto Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and nextTrump International Hoteland the development of luxury golf in neighboring Oman.

During the Crypto Conference, an investment company with the state at Abu Dhabi announced that he had chosen USD, World Liberty Financialestablishto support an investment of $ 2 billion toMore beanThe largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world. Critics say that it allows the Trump family -aligned interests to have essentially a reduction in every inverted dollar.

“I know nothing,” Trump said when journalists asked him about the transaction on Wednesday.

Then there is the LIV Golf supported by the Saudi government, which has forged close trade relations with the President and welcomed tournaments to the Doral Resort of Trump, south of Florida.

“Given the extensive links between LIV and PIF, or between Trump companies more generally and golf, I would say that there is a very bright conflict of interest here,” said Jon Hoffman, a foreign defense and foreign policy researcher at the Libertarian Think Tank of Cato Institute. He was referring to Saudi ArabiaPublic Investment Fundwhich has invested a lot in everything from worldwide sports giants toNintendo video game makerwith the aim of diversifying the economy of the kingdom beyond oil.

Trump said he did not talk about Liv Golf during his visit to Saudi Arabia.

The presidentannounced in JanuaryAn investment of $ 20 billion for North -Americans promised by Damac Properties, an emirate company led by the billionaire Dubai DeveloperHussain Sajwani. Trump invoices that as a benefit the technological and economic position of the country instead of his family business. But Sajwani was a close business partner of Trump and his family long before the 2016 election.

White House House to concerns about conflicts of interest

Asked before leaving for the Middle East if Trump could use the trip to meet with people linked to his family’s business, White House Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said he was “ridiculous” suggesting that President Trump do anything for his own benefit. “

“The President respects all laws on conflicts of interest,” he said.

Administration officials have explained these concerns about the President’s political decisions that his family’s business interests took place, saying that Trump’s assets are at a confidence managed by his children. AVoluntary Ethics AgreementReleased by the Trump organization, it also prevents the firm from being striking offers directly with foreign governments.

But this same agreement still allows offers with private companies abroad. In Trump’s first term, the organization published aethicalProhibit treatment with both foreign governments and foreign companies.

The president, according to the second -term ethics agreement, is not involved in day -to -day decision -making for the family business. But their political and corporate brands are still inextricably linked.

“The President is a successful businessman,” Leavitt said, “and I think, frankly, is one of the many reasons why people made him back to this office.”

Timothy P. Carney, a senior scholarship of the conservative American Enterprise Institute, said he does not want North -American foreign policy to be affected by Trump’s feelings on how other countries have dealt with his family’s business.

“Even if it does not run the company, it benefits when the company does well,” said Carney. “When you leave the White House, the company is worth more, its personal wealth increases.”

Promises of North -American Investment formed Trump’s trip

His family -owned business apart, the president was not shy to say that he would shape the itinerary of his first trip abroad to Quid Pro Quo.

Trump’s first stop was Saudi Arabia, as during the first term. He chose the destination after saying that the kingdom had committed to spending $ 1 trillion in North -American companies for four years. Since then the White House has announced itThe actual figure is $ 600 million.The amount will really be a new investment – or to come to fruition – is left to see.

The President also goes to the United Arab Emirates, which has committed $ 1.4 trillion in North -American investments over the next ten years and Boeing and GE Aerospace announced a $ 96 million agreementWhile I was in QatarOn Wednesday, that the country’s state airline will buy up to 210 Boeing aircraft made to 210 Americans.

Trump, meanwhile, says accepting the gift of a Boeing 747 of the governing family is not an idea that is not something that rules out ethical security and concerns raised by Democrats and even some conservatives.

Trump’s Middle East business links its presidencies

Trump’s first commercial raid in the Middle East came in 2005, during his second year of prominence in “The Apprentice”. A Trump Tower Dubai project was proposed as a tulip -shaped hotel to be put on the artificial island of the palm -shaped city.

He never materialized.

However, in February 2017 he saw the announced opening of the Trump International Golf Club Dubai, with Damac Properties of Sajwani. One month earlier, Trump had said that Sajwani had tried to make a $ 2 billion agreement with him, “and I rejected it.”

“I didn’t have to reject it, because as you know, I have a situation without conflict because I am President,” Trump said then.

This January, there was a Sajwani that was triumphant by Trump in Trump’s Mar-Aago Estate de Florida, to announce Damac’s investment in US data centers.

“It has been an incredible news to me and my family when he was elected in November,” Sajwani said. “For the past four years, we have been waiting for this moment.”

This story originally presented to Fortune.com

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