Long List of Corruption in Trump's Short Tenure in Office and the True Weakness of his Weakness

by Scott Creighton

TrumpyBear is corrupt. Of that there is no doubt. But if it helps stop bombing raids in Gaza and gets food to starving Palestinian children, I couldn't care less. Give two planes and a Ferris wheel for all I care.

The sad thing is, most people are too shell-shocked at this point to even pay attention while his MAGAites either don't care or actually cheer him on for his outlandish levels of in your face corruption.

'Mr. Trump’s inaugural committee raked in $239 million from wealthy business interests hoping to curry his favor or at least avoid his wrath, more than doubling the previous record, $107 million, set by his inaugural committee in 2017. There is no way to spend a quarter of a billion dollars on dinners and events, and the committee has not said what will happen to leftover funds.

Before returning to office, Mr. Trump also started a meme cryptocurrency, $TRUMP, which allows crypto investors around the world to enrich him. His family has already made millions on transaction fees, and its own reserve of the digital coin is worth billions on paper.

This month, Mr. Trump went further by auctioning off face-to-face access to himself through sales of the coin, announcing that top buyers would get a private dinner at one of his golf courses and that the largest holders would get a tour of the White House. The contest injected new interest in the coin, even though it has no intrinsic value.

The removal of such constraints extends to law enforcement.

In April, the Trump administration disbanded a Justice Department unit dedicated to investigating cryptocurrency crimes.

Earlier, Mr. Trump had also ordered the department to suspend enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which makes it a crime for companies that operate in the United States to bribe foreign officials.

And Attorney General Pam Bondi, herself a former highly paid lobbyist for Qatar, narrowed enforcement of a law requiring lobbyists for foreign governments to register such relationships and disclose what they are paid...' NYT

Yes, Trump is all about 'the deals'

'Deals' are what used car salesmen make, presidents do diplomacy. 

But not TrumpyBear... he makes 'deals' and many times those 'deals' involve either him or some friend or member of his family taking home a hefty profit.

This is a weakness in a man which can be sniffed out a mile away and it is dangerous in a man if he happens to be the POTUS.

Yes, it may turn out after enough 'deals' TrumpyBear is convinced by Mohamed bin Salman (MbS) and the royal families of Qatar and UAE to turn away from Genocidal Bibi and embrace the role of peace-maker in the Middle East for his legacy... and profit margins of course.

And if that is the case, well, worse outcomes were obviously possible. For U.S. recognition of Palestinian statehood, I think most solidarity supporters would turn a blind eye to TrumpyBear flying off into the sunset in his new gaudy ego palace in the sky.

Money well spent in my opinion.

US President Trump arrives in Saudi Arabia for $1 trillion bonanza

from PressTV

US President Donald Trump has arrived in Riyadh on the first leg of his four-day tour to West Asia as he seeks to secure as much as $1 trillion in Saudi investments.

Trump was welcomed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the King Khalid International Airport in the capital on Tuesday morning.

Saudi Arabia is the first stop of Trump's first major overseas trip in his second term as the US president.

Reports say Trump is expected to sign agreements worth more than $1 trillion during his visit to the oil-rich Persian Gulf state. 

The deals include investments in artificial intelligence companies and energy production, as well as arms purchases from American weapons manufacturers, according to the reports.

Earlier reports said the US is no longer demanding Saudi Arabia normalize ties with Israel as a condition for progress on nuclear cooperation talks with the kingdom.

"The Trump administration wants this trip to be a big deal. That means lots of splashy deal announcements and collaborations that can be sold as being good for America," said Robert Mogielnicki, senior resident scholar at the Arab Persian Gulf States Institute in Washington.

"Normalizing ties with Israel is a much heavier lift than rolling out the red carpet for President Trump and announcing investment deals."...

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Trump thinks he is shaping the Middle East. Instead, it’s Gulf states that will dictate US foreign policy

from The Guardian Simon Tisdall

Donald Trump is accustomed to getting his own way. That could change next week when he’s confronted by the mess he’s making in the Middle East. As he begins a three-day trip to Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, the US president is promising great things. As ever, he’s delusional. The reality is that reckless, incoherent and neglectful US regional policies are failing across the board. A fundamental course correction is urgently required.

Gulf leaders have the leverage to set Trump straight, if they decide to use it. He relies on them to an unprecedented degree – far more than on Europe – as diplomatic interlocutors, security partners and financial backers. His approach to Palestine, which is on the brink of a second Nakba (catastrophe), is a mix of prejudice, cruelty and sheer ignorance. Without Arab help, the US and Israel may remain trapped indefinitely in a destructive policy cul-de-sac.

Trump knows he cannot afford to ignore the views of the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, and his Gulf counterparts on Gaza, Syria and Yemen. They oppose war with Iran, as previously threatened by the US and Israel. Trump needs them as allies in his trade and tariff feud with China. Gulf diplomats hosted the Ukraine-Russia peace talks he personally promoted. He is desperate to keep oil prices low. And he covets multibillion dollar Middle East investment deals and arms sales.

Yet for Gulf support, there is a price to pay. Take Trump’s hope of extending the so-called Abraham accords by normalising Saudi-Israeli relations. Whatever Trump says, Salman vows this cannot happen without guaranteed progress towards an independent Palestinian state – a prospect Israel’s government abhors. Salman has described the post-7 October killing of more than 52,000 Palestinians in Gaza as “genocide”. In Riyadh, Trump will face intense pressure to end Israel’s blockade and reinstate the ceasefire.

US-Israel relations are growing increasingly strained, with Trump so far declining invitations to add Jerusalem to his trip. Careless of the impact on surviving Israeli hostages held by Hamas, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, and his far-right allies plan a long-term military occupation of Gaza and mass expulsions of Palestinians. Yet while Trump was supportive two months ago, talking foolishly about building a “Riviera of the Middle East”, he seems belatedly to have realised peace does not lie that way.

Netanyahu, who continues to urge the US to join Israel in military action against Iran this year, was caught by surprise by Trump’s sudden announcement last month of talks with Tehran about its nuclear programme. A similarly abrupt Trump U-turn last week, ending US airstrikes on Yemen, also blindsided Israel, which continues to bomb Houthi fighters. Both policy shifts, and Trump’s changing tone on Gaza, follow effective Gulf lobbying...

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In a normalization agreement with Israel, Saudi Arabia should settle for nothing less than Palestinian statehood

from The Atlantic April 26 2025

Since the second Trump administration took office, Middle East policy experts and commentators have renewed discussion of a potential US-brokered Saudi Arabia-Israel normalization deal. The broad parameters of such a deal, which had been under discussion during US President Donald Trump’s first term and during the Biden administration, are generally known. Riyadh would agree to normalize relations with Israel in exchange for US security guarantees, preferably in the form of a treaty; US assistance with the kingdom’s nuclear program; cooperation on technology, including artificial intelligence; and progress on Palestinian statehood—although precisely how much progress would be required remained unclear. The term “pathway” to a Palestinian state—sometimes qualified as “credible” or “irreversible”—was the most consistently used formulation.

With Trump now scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia next month, the issue of normalization is certain to be on the agenda. There are three reasons why Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s principal decisionmaker, should make full Palestinian statehood part of the asking price for normalizing relations with Israel. First, many Saudis and other Arabs throughout the region may look askance at bin Salman if he were to be seen as ignoring the Palestinians’ plight. Second, if he pulls it off, he will have succeeded where other, more celebrated Arab leaders failed. And finally, the longer the issue remains unresolved, the more it will continue to impede progress on Saudi and regional priorities...

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Saudi Aramco, BYD partner on new energy vehicle technologies

(That's right folks. The best electric cars in the world, BYD, can't be sold in America even though they also happen to be very inexpensive... because they would cripple the American made e-car industry and Tesla specifically. )

from Daily Sabah

Oil giant Saudi Aramco and the Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD announced Monday they agreed to explore closer collaboration in new-energy vehicle technologies.

The Saudi firm is already a partner with Renault of France and the Chinese automaker Geely in a joint venture to produce thermal engines.

Its subsidiary Saudi Aramco Technologies Company (SATC) is now teaming up with the Chinese EV and hybrid vehicle giant, although terms of the accord were not specified.

In a joint statement the companies said the deal aimed to "foster the development of innovative technologies that enhance efficiency and environmental performance."

The statement was issued ahead of Auto Shanghai, the world's largest industry show of its kind, which opens Wednesday...

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How Trump and Netanyahu forced Mohammed bin Salman to draw a line on Palestine

from Middle East Eye

... When Trump revealed his plan to own Gaza after the mass transfer of the Palestinians, he said that the bill for the clean up operation would go to the Gulf states, by which he meant Saudi Arabia. This particularly irked Riyadh. 

Trump also bragged that Saudi Arabia would normalise with Israel without a Palestinian state. "So, Saudi Arabia is going to be very helpful. And they have been very helpful. They want peace in the Middle East. It's very simple," Trump said.

It took Riyadh just 45 minutes to reply in what has become known as the dawn statement.

It left little room for manoeuvre.

"His Royal Highness emphasised that Saudi Arabia will continue its relentless efforts to establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital and will not establish relations with Israel without that."

Saudi Arabia reiterates support for creation of Palestinian state, rejects Trump's claim

from PressTV

Saudi Arabia has reiterated its unwavering support for Palestinians, underscoring its “non-negotiable” stance that Riyadh will not normalize relations with the Israeli regime without the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that the kingdom’s position would remain “firm” after US President Donald Trump claimed during a meeting with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House that Riyadh was not demanding a Palestinian state in return for normalization with Tel Aviv.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirms that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s position on the establishment of a Palestinian state is firm and unwavering,” the statement said.

“His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, clearly and unequivocally reaffirmed this stance during his speech at the opening of the first session of the ninth term of the Shura Council on September 18, 2024.”...

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Joe Biden Should Press Hold on Saudi-Israel Normalization

(This fucking horrible deal comes from MbS telling the world months ago that they will suspend all trade and potential deals with Israel until they recognize Palestinian statehood. Our sycophantic collaborators in D.C. rushed over there and dropped to their knees promising the moon and the stars to S.A. in an effort to buy them off. What does S.A. do for us? They recognize Israel. WTF does that do for us? Should be TREASON on Biden's part. U.S. lives to defend the kings of Saud? Are you fucking shitting me? They also know this will drive a wedge between the kingdom and other Muslim nations who back Palestinian statehood like Iran. This is TREASON and it is an attempt to relieve pressure on Israel that could bring an end to the genocide in Gaza. It is pathetic.)

from National Interest

Amid the horrors of the war in Gaza, a better future awaits the Middle East. A grand bargain is on offer that would establish diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, move toward a two-state solution, and create a bulwark against Iran via a U.S.-Saudi defense treaty. 

But we are not there yet. Before normalization, the Saudis insist that Israel take “credible and irreversible” steps toward a two-state solution. The current Israeli government won’t take those steps, meaning normalization will have to wait for a more centrist government. Since the structure of the grand bargain is that nothing is agreed upon until everything is agreed upon, a deal is not at hand. That means the United States should shift focus away from its attempt to get an accord before the presidential election in November. Instead, Washington and Riyadh should lay a firm foundation for the next U.S. president to finish the deal.

To review the bidding in the grand bargain, the United States would commit to a binding defense treaty with Saudi Arabia, provide it with civilian nuclear reactors, streamlined weapons sales, and access to advanced chips for Artificial Intelligence development. Saudi Arabia would recognize Israel, limit Chinese participation in sensitive sectors such as high-tech, and sign a Safeguards Agreement and possibly the Additional Protocol with the International Atomic Energy Agency to govern the use of nuclear reactors. Israel would commit to a two-state solution (process)...

read more here

Saudi Crown Prince Breathes Fire; MBS Launches Biggest Attack On Israel Over IDF's Rafah Assault

from Times of India

 

'Saudi Arabia has once again accused Israel of genocide in Gaza and blasted international community's inaction over the massacres in Gaza strip, including Rafah city. Riyadh called for international action against Israel and demanded an end to the Israeli military attacks on Palestinians across Occupied Palestine, including Gaza. Watch the video for more.'

No Saudi defense pact without Israel deal – White House

from RT

The US will not enter into a defense agreement with Saudi Arabia unless the kingdom recognizes the state of Israel, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has said. However, Riyadh has made any recognition deal contingent on the Israelis agreeing to work toward the formal establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

Media reports last week suggested that Washington and Riyadh were drawing closer to signing a bilateral security pact, even as progress toward a Saudi-Israel normalization deal remained stalled. According to Reuters, the pact would see the US enter into a formal alliance with Saudi Arabia and help with its civilian nuclear program in exchange for Riyadh cutting some economic ties with China...

The Saudi Foreign Ministry stated in February that the kingdom would not establish formal relations with Israel “unless an independent Palestinian state is recognized on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, and that the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip stops and all Israeli occupation forces withdraw from the Gaza Strip.”...

read more here

Gaza UPDATES

 

Bibi is in deep trouble. MbS is dictating a resolution. And CBS is airing Bibi's dirty laundry on Sunday.

It's about to get real in Tel Aviv.

Saudi FM says US bilateral agreements ‘very, very close’

from al Jazeera

Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister says Saudi-US security pact negotiations that bilateral agreements between the kingdom and the United States were “very very close.”

“Most of the work has already been done. We have the broad outlines of what we think needs to happen on the Palestinian front,” Faisal bin Farhan said in a panel at the World Economic Forum special meeting in Riyadh.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was on the same panel, added that an agreement “is potentially very close to completion” but that there must be a credible path towards a Palestinian state to move forward.

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Saudi Arabia warns of economic fallout from Gaza war, geopolitics

from Daily Sabah

Saudi Arabia on Sunday called for regional "stability," warning of the geopolitical risks and effects of the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza on the global economic sentiment at the start of a summit attended by a host of Gaza mediators.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Palestinian leaders and high-ranking officials from other countries trying to broker a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas are on the guest list for the summit in Riyadh, capital of the world's biggest crude oil exporter.

The Gaza war along with conflicts in Ukraine and elsewhere put "a lot of pressure" on the economic "mood," Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al Jadaan said at one of the first panel discussions of the two-day World Economic Forum (WEF) special meeting.

"I think cool-headed countries and leaders and people need to prevail, and you need to make sure that you actually de-escalate," Al Jadaan said.

"The region needs stability."...

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Saudi Arabia warns Israel of 'very serious repercussions' if ground invasion of Rafah proceeds

from Fox News

Saudi Arabia has warned Israel that a planned invasion of the city of Rafah may cause an imminent humanitarian disaster.

The oil-rich nation’s foreign ministry released a statement on Saturday calling for an immediate ceasefire to the conflict as Israel is poised to launch a ground invasion of Rafah, which borders Egypt at the southern end of the Gaza Strip. More than half of Gaza's estimated 2.3 million population is now packed into the city.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has ordered the military to develop a plan to evacuate the population city ahead of a ground invasion to destroy four Hamas battalions it says are deployed there...

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Iranian, Saudi FMs discuss Gaza war, stress need for halt of Israel's aggression

 from Press TV

Iran’s top diplomat has held talks with his Saudi counterpart on the Gaza war and its spread to the region, with the two sides stressing the need for an end to Israeli atrocities.

A statement by the Iranian Foreign Ministry said Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and Faisal bin Farhan voiced concern over the continuation of the regime’s atrocities against the oppressed Palestinian people and discussed the necessity for an end to the war and removal of the blockade on Gaza and the return of calm to the wider region.

The two ministers also discussed the situation in the Red Sea, which has been a scene of Yemeni military’s attacks on Israel-linked ships and also US-UK strikes on the Arab country.

The two sides also talked about the course of bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

“The two sides expressed satisfaction about [the level of] bilateral ties and stressed the development and deepening of the two countries’ cooperation in fields of interest,” the statement read...

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Saudi FM hints at Israel recognition if Palestinian issue resolved

from Daily Sabah

Saudi Arabia's top diplomat hinted Tuesday that the kingdom could recognize Israel if the Palestinian issue is resolved.

Asked at a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos whether Saudi Arabia could take this step as part of a wider agreement after a resolution of the Palestinian conflict, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said, "Certainly."

 

Israel rules out Jerusalem base for Saudi envoy to Palestinians

by Dan Williams from Reuters

 Israel ruled out on Sunday a diplomatic base in Jerusalem for the new Saudi envoy to the Palestinians, whose appointment comes as Washington tries to forge formal Israeli relations with Riyadh.

Saudi Ambassador to Jordan Nayef Al-Sudairi on Saturday expanded his credentials to include non-resident envoy to the Palestinians. A social media post by his embassy in Amman said "consul-general in Jerusalem" was now among Al-Sudairi's duties.

Biden's Big Middle East Deal is a Hollow Sham

Saudi Arabia would never go for it because Israel will have to recognize the state of Palestine and give back what they stole.

Evaluating Stories From China and Saudi Arabia via Source and Context

 

And you might just come away with a better understanding of the world and our place in it.

5 Sentenced to Death in KSA for Khashoggi Murder: What Does it Mean?

Jamal Khashoggi. CIA connections. New regime change centered NGO. Lots to unpack here.