Latest news with #GoldenAgeofAmerica
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
California Democrat Calls ICE Agents 'Terrorists'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A California Democrat has branded federal immigration agents "Terrorists," in a social media post. San Diego City Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera, who represents the city's 9th District shared a photo of ICE agents on Instagram with the word "Terrorists" written across the image. In the caption of his social media post, he expressed concern about the presence of heavily armed federal agents operating in residential areas of San Diego. Newsweek has contacted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Elo-Rivera's office for comment outside of office hours. A deportation officer with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducts a brief before an early morning operation, Dec. 17, 2024, in the Bronx borough of New York. A deportation officer with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducts a brief before an early morning operation, Dec. 17, 2024, in the Bronx borough of New York. Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Why It Matters ICE remains a divisive presence in public discourse—celebrated by some as an essential tool for upholding immigration laws and vilified by others as a symbol of draconian policies. President Donald Trump has directed his administration to conduct the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history, placing ICE at the center of the national debate over immigration policy. The Trump administration has granted ICE additional powers and expanded authority to conduct operations in sensitive locations such as schools and hospitals. The hard-line enforcement policy has sowed fear into vulnerable immigrant communities. What To Know "Look at this photo. This isn't a war zone—it's a neighborhood in our city," Elo-Rivera wrote in an Instagram post. "In San Diego, they've targeted parents dropping off their kids at school, people following the law inside courthouses, and workers just doing their jobs at local restaurants. "These are federal agents carrying out raids under the false pretense of 'safety,'" he added. "This isn't safety. It's state-sponsored terrorism. And anyone who cares about freedom—and true safety—should be fighting back." Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff for policy, responded to the post and said the United States is living in the "age of left-wing domestic terrorism." The Trump administration has long maintained that the "Golden Age of America" began after President Trump returned to office. Elo-Rivera responded by calling Miller "one of the most dishonest and worst people in America," noting "nothing makes me more confident in my position than knowing he hates it." The Department of Homeland Security has said that ICE agents are facing a 413 percent increase in assaults. Elo-Rivera has been an outspoken critic of ICE's presence in San Diego and has previously called for the end of federal immigration raids in the region. What People Are Saying Stephen Miller said in a post on X: "We are living in the age of left-wing domestic terrorism. They are openly encouraging violence against law enforcement to aid and abet the invasion of America." An ICE spokesperson told Fox News Digital: "Elected officials comparing ICE law enforcement agents to terrorists is SICKENING."
The Hill
24-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
‘This is the Golden Age': Trump delivers commencement speech to West Point graduates
President Trump delivered the commencement speech for the U.S. Military Academy at West Point on Saturday morning, declaring at one point that the 2025 class consists of the 'first West Point graduates of the Golden Age of America.' 'This is the Golden Age. I tell you, promise, we're in a new age,' Trump told the graduates in New York, vowing that they are 'going to lead the Army to summits of greatness.' The speech, which lasted just under an hour, offered a mix of shoutouts to individual cadets for their personal achievements and words of advice while at times delving into culture war issues — including transgender athletes playing in women's sports. Trump's remarks also served as somewhat of a victory lap for his administration, particularly its proposed defense initiatives. Trump took the opportunity during his speech to tout his Golden Dome missile defense system, which he's previously said would 'be capable of intercepting missiles even if they are launched from other sides of the world, and even if they are launched from space' before the end of his second term. The president also touted what he's described as a '$1 trillion military budget,' referring to the president's proposed 13 percent increase in defense spending, though the White House has noted that part of that money would come from Republicans' reconciliation package. A Senate GOP aide previously told The Hill that the White House has technically only proposed $893 billion for its discretionary defense spending for 2026, meaning the rest would be made up through reconciliation. Trump used his Saturday speech to paint an optimistic picture about his term ahead, at one point remarking ,'we have the hottest country in the world' while also arguing that his administration was taking steps to course correct within the military. Trump only once explicitly mentioned the Biden administration in his speech. 'The job of the U.S. Armed Forces is not to host drag shows, to transform foreign cultures, but to spread democracy to everybody around the world at the point of a gun. The military's job is to dominate any foe and annihilate any threat to America, anywhere, anytime and any place,' Trump said. 'A big part of that job is to be respected again,' he added. 'And you are, as of right now, respected more than any army anywhere in the world.' Since Trump returned to the White House, the administration has cracked down on the Defense Department's diversity, equity and inclusion programs and hiring practices, including at military academies. Trump imparted some words of advice to graduates on Saturday, too, urging the cadets 'to do what you love' and advising them to 'always think big.' 'You have to have the courage to take risks and to do things differently,' he said. Trump's remarks at West Point are the second commencement speech he's delivered this month, though this is his first military graduation speech of his second term. The president also delivered a speech at the University of Alabama earlier this month.
New York Post
24-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Trump rips ex-presidents, vows military will be ‘respected again' in West Point graduation speech touting ‘Golden Age' priorities
WEST POINT, New York — President Trump vowed Saturday to refocus the US military on protecting US borders while cowing enemies into diplomatic capitulation during his graduation speech at the United States Military Academy. 'You are winners, every single one of you,' the 78-year-old commander in chief told the 1,002 graduating cadets, who are becoming second lieutenants in the Army. 'You are the first West Point graduates of the Golden Age of America.' He quickly turned to a blistering attack on prior presidents without naming them. 3 President Trump delivers the commencement address at the 2025 US Military Academy Graduation Ceremony at West Point, New York, on May 24, 2025. AFP via Getty Images 'For at least two decades, political leaders from both parties have dragged our military into missions it was never meant to be [in]. People would say, 'Why are we doing this? Why are we wasting our time, money and souls in some case?'' Trump said. 'They sent our warriors on nation-building crusades to nations that wanted nothing to do with us, led by leaders who didn't have a clue in distant lands while abusing our soldiers with absurd ideological experiments.' 'All of that is ended,' he declared. 'They subjected the armed forces to all manner of social projects and political causes while leaving our borders undefended and depleting our arsenals to fight other countries' wars. 'But under the Trump administration, those days are over. We're getting rid of the distractions and focusing our military on its core mission: crushing America's adversaries, killing America's enemies and defending our great American flag,' he said. 'The job of the US armed forces is not to host drag shows, to transform foreign cultures or to spread democracy to everybody around the world at the point of the gun. The military's job is to dominate any foe and annihilate any threat to America anywhere anytime and anyplace.' 'My preference always will be to make peace and seek partnership, even with countries with which our differences may be profound,' he went on. 3 Trump called the graduates the 'smartest' and 'toughest' soldiers in the world and 'among the most talented members of your generation.' REUTERS 'As much as you want to fight, I'd rather do it without having to fight. I'd rather just look at them and have them fold. And that's happening.' Trump touted his plans for a Golden Dome missile defense system and said border protection would continue to be a top priority to stanch the flow of illegal immigration and drugs. 'A central purpose of our military is to protect our own borders from invasion. Our country was invaded for the past four years,' he said. Trump also told graduates they were among the 'smartest' and 'toughest' soldiers in the world and 'among the most talented members of your generation.' 'Instead of sports teams, spreadsheets and software, you chose a life of service,' Trump said. 'I could not be more proud to serve you as your commander in chief.' 3 Trump salutes alongside U.S. Military Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Steven W. Gilland during commencement ceremonies. AP Trump told cadets that he just returned from his three-nation tour of the Middle East last week and that he was told 'the United States of America is hotter now than we've ever seen it, and a year ago it was as cold as it gets. And it's true, we have the hottest country in the world and the whole world is talking about it. I can't wait to see the glory that is ahead.' While congratulating students who designed a hypersonic rocket, Trump said that Russia stole plans for an American-designed rocket under President Barack Obama — an allegation he previously made in January. 'We had ours stolen,' Trump said. 'During the Obama administration, they stole it. You know who stole it? The Russians stole it. Something bad happened.' Trump said he was 'rebuilding' the military 'like nobody's ever rebuilt it before,' to cheers from younger cadets in the stands. 'You have to have victory after victory after victory, and that's what you're going to have as you receive your commissions.'
CNN
14-05-2025
- Business
- CNN
A home away from home: Why Trump wishes America was more like the Gulf
CNN — President Donald Trump would plainly like America to be more like the Gulf states he's touring on the first big foreign trip of his new term. He got a purple-carpeted welcome fit for a king in Saudi Arabia from Mohammed bin Salman, the ruthless and modernizing crown prince, that outstripped the showers of personal adulation from his top officials back home. Trump was greeted with camels, red Cybertrucks and a red carpet on his next stop in Qatar Wednesday after landing in his aging Air Force One jet – rather than the newer 747-8 his hosts want to gift him. 'We've launched the Golden Age of America,' Trump said in a major speech in Riyadh. 'The Golden Age of the Middle East can proceed right alongside of us.' His trip, which also includes a stop in the United Arab Emirates, is already a window into his second term. The soliciting of hundreds of billions of dollars in foreign investment shows 'America first' is as much an economic strategy as a foreign policy. And as Trump palled around with MBS, as the Saudi crown prince is widely known, it was clear the president is right at home with rich authoritarian leaders who head nations where the line between politics and personal enrichment is blurred. No one in Riyadh was complaining that his visit is also serving as a tacit endorsement of business deals his sons have clinched in countries along his route. But Trump's lavishing of attention on Gulf states is also highlighting the region's rise to geopolitical and economic might. The financial muscle of oil-rich Saudis, Qataris and Emiratis is engineering a power shift from the West to the East. This will be obvious in Qatar. The tiny state, smaller than Connecticut and home to 2.5 million people, is now a fulcrum of diplomacy and has made itself indispensable to the foreign policies of Republican and Democratic presidents. It connects warring nations and hostile groups including the United States, Iran, Russia, Ukraine, Hamas, Israel, Lebanon and its rival factions, the Taliban, Congo and M23 rebels. If there's a war that needs to be ended or a hostage to be freed, Qatar, acting almost as a mini-United Nations, will be involved. Trump hails a 'transformation' he'd love to emulate Trump is on the hunt for $1 trillion of Gulf investment to balance his tariff-led strategy to reinvent the US economy. But his head was turned by transformations wrought by his hosts in their own backyards, which are unencumbered by the planning regulations and environmental curbs he often bemoans in the US. Armed with sovereign wealth funds, they're revolutionizing sports and the arts as they build vast modern cities, transport links and stadia to guarantee their futures when carbon resources are drained. Qatar hosted the FIFA World Cup in 2022, as part of a PR strategy critics decry as an attempt to 'sports wash' its poor human rights record. Saudi Arabia launched spending sprees to bankroll sports teams and leagues. In a politics and sports double play, it founded a pro golf league and held events at Trump resorts. The World Cup is coming in 2034. Trump was sure to give FIFA supremo Trump fan Gianni Infantino a shoutout in his speech Tuesday. Admiration and even envy creep into Trump's voice in a region where he's far more comfortable than in the chancelleries of Old Europe. 'Majestic skyscrapers,' Trump, who's built a few towers himself, marveled in Riyadh. 'It's amazing genius.' He went on: 'in other cities throughout the peninsula, places like Dubai and Abu Dhabi and Doha, Muscat, the transformations have been unbelievably remarkable. Before our eyes, a new generation of leaders is transcending the ancient conflicts of tired divisions of the past and forging a future where the Middle East is defined by commerce, not chaos, where it exports technology, not terrorism.' In Trump's endorsement of the aggressive Gulf development model, it's hard not to see political aspirations for back home. What would Trump give for authoritarian powers, curbed political freedoms, no court and media scrutiny and the unlimited authority to spend billions that the region's leaders enjoy? The president's affection for strongmen is well known. But an interaction with MBS on Tuesday was jarring even for him. 'I like him a lot,' Trump said, smirking at the de facto Saudi leader, blamed by US intelligence for approving the gruesome 2018 killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. 'I like him too much. That's why we give so much. You know? Too much. I like you too much.' The president made it clear that America under his watch is open for business and won't ask too many questions about where the cash comes from. 'In recent years, far too many American presidents have been afflicted with the notion that it's our job to look into the souls of foreign leaders and use US policy to dispense justice for their sins,' Trump said, inaugurating a new age of an ultra-realist foreign policy Tuesday. 'I believe it is God's job to sit in judgment – my job (is) to defend America and to promote the fundamental interests of stability, prosperity, and peace.' How Qatar made itself America's diplomatic fixer Trump's endless search for 'wins' came up with $600 billion in new investments for the US on Tuesday. It's typical for such numbers to be inflated by back-counting of deals already on the books and future promises that never materialize. But there was also a win for the people of Syria, as Trump announced the lifting of US sanctions following the fall of the Assad regime last year – the latest of a string of presidential decisions that might irk Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump met Wednesday morning with the Syrian leader, a remarkable development considering Ahmad al-Sharaa was at one time a jihadist with a $10 million US bounty on his head (the US removed the bounty in December as Sharaa has worked to build diplomatic connection to his new regime). Trump and Sharaa were joined by MBS in person for the Wednesday meeting, as well as Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who joined by phone. The White House is emphasizing Trump's tour as primarily an economic mission. But the interlocking nature of US economic and security policy will be emphasized in his stop in Qatar. This is a country that defines the term 'punching above its weight.' To guarantee its safety in a violent region plagued by border conflicts, it's made itself indispensable to the US and its allies. At the vast, and once secret, Al Udeid Air Base that it built in the desert outside Doha, runways and US military installations stretch as far as the eye can see. As international geopolitical structures fray, the Doha government has made a name as a rare broker of intractable disputes between enemies, sometimes thousands of miles outside its own neighborhood. 'We are a small country, but we have a long outreach,' Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told the Washington Post in an interview published Monday. 'Sometimes, being a small country enables you to move fast and to be able to engage with everybody.' Qatar must have one of the busiest foreign ministries on the planet. It's worked on hostage releases and ceasefire efforts amid the Israeli war in Gaza and has sent billions of dollars in aid to Palestinian civilians. It played a huge role in facilitating the US evacuation from Afghanistan. Just this week, Qatar joined Egypt in negotiating with Hamas to secure the release of the last living American hostage in Gaza, Edan Alexander. Doha kept open channels to Russia after its invasion of Ukraine made it an international pariah. That helped it facilitate the release of several groups of Ukrainian children caught up in the conflict. Qatar also mediated between the Biden administration and the Maduro regime in Venezuela in a process that led to the release of 10 Americans. It is hosting peace talks between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwandan-backed M23 rebels aimed at ending fighting that killed thousands of people and created a humanitarian crisis. Qatar's willingness to deal with even the most extreme groups has sometimes angered its neighbors, including the Saudis, with whom it has experienced several diplomatic schisms. In the United States, Al Jazeera, the news network partially funded by the Qatari government, was often accused of bias during the Iraq war. Washington lawmakers have frequently called on administrations to sever ties with Qatar for allowing extremists belonging to the Taliban, Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood to live and work there. But its open door has often benefited US foreign policy. Qatar can talk to belligerents that a US government could never approach. It's become a proxy diplomatic toolbox for US presidents. And it reflects a region on the rise. 'The Saudis are playing a role in mediating with the Ukrainians and the Russians. The Emirates have been instrumental in bringing Americans wrongfully imprisoned in Russia home,' Steven Cook of the Council on Foreign Relations told reporters in a recent briefing. 'The Qataris obviously have had this big role to play in Gaza and to get a ceasefire there. And now you have the Omanis, who are deeply involved not only in the nuclear negotiations but … also with Houthis.' Cook added, 'It seems that the Trump administration sees America's partners in the Gulf as their trusted interlocutors, not treaty allies in Europe or other partners.' The deft Qatari touch seems to have failed it in the new flap over Air Force One. The offer of a new 747 to bridge the gap until new presidential jets come online was seized upon by critics as a blatant bid to influence the transactional and ethically challenged Trump – who has said he'd be 'stupid' to say no. Not only would such a gift appear to infringe the Constitution, but US intelligence would have to comb the jet to ensure it's not been compromised by foreign powers. And the offer has focused attention on a darker side of Qatar: a human rights record the Biden State Department said was stained by political imprisonments, restrictions on freedom of expression and a compromised legal system. Some Republicans are also wary of the idea. 'Many of their people are prevented from participating in the government. And some of the minority religious folks in Qatar are treated poorly. And so, I really haven't been a big fan,' Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul said on Fox News Monday. 'I wonder if our ability to judge their human rights record would be clouded by the fact of this large gift.' 'So, I wouldn't take it. That's just me. I don't think it's a good idea.' This story has been updated with additional developments.
Egypt Independent
14-05-2025
- Business
- Egypt Independent
A home away from home: Why Trump wishes America was more like the Gulf
CNN — President Donald Trump would plainly like America to be more like the Gulf states he's touring on the first big foreign trip of his new term. He got a purple-carpeted welcome fit for a king in Saudi Arabia from Mohammed bin Salman, the ruthless and modernizing crown prince, that outstripped the showers of personal adulation from his top officials back home. More spectacle is on tap in Qatar Wednesday after Trump lands in his aging Air Force One jet – rather than the newer 747-8 his hosts want to gift him. 'We've launched the Golden Age of America,' Trump said in a major speech in Riyadh. 'The Golden Age of the Middle East can proceed right alongside of us.' His trip, which also includes a stop in the United Arab Emirates, is already a window into his second term. The soliciting of hundreds of billions of dollars in foreign investment shows 'America first' is as much an economic strategy as a foreign policy. And as Trump palled around with MBS, as the Saudi crown prince is widely known, it was clear the president is right at home with rich authoritarian leaders who head nations where the line between politics and personal enrichment is blurred. No one in Riyadh was complaining that his visit is also serving as a tacit endorsement of business deals his sons have clinched in countries along his route. But Trump's lavishing of attention on Gulf states is also highlighting the region's rise to geopolitical and economic might. The financial muscle of oil-rich Saudis, Qataris and Emiratis is engineering a power shift from the West to the East. This will be obvious in Qatar. The tiny state, smaller than Connecticut and home to 2.5 million people, is now a fulcrum of diplomacy and has made itself indispensable to the foreign policies of Republican and Democratic presidents. It connects warring nations and hostile groups including the United States, Iran, Russia, Ukraine, Hamas, Israel, Lebanon and its rival factions, the Taliban, Congo and M23 rebels. If there's a war that needs to be ended or a hostage to be freed, Qatar, acting almost as a mini-United Nations, will be involved. Trump hails a 'transformation' he'd love to emulate Trump is on the hunt for $1 trillion of Gulf investment to balance his tariff-led strategy to reinvent the US economy. But his head was turned by transformations wrought by his hosts in their own backyards, which are unencumbered by the planning regulations and environmental curbs he often bemoans in the US. Armed with sovereign wealth funds, they're revolutionizing sports and the arts as they build vast modern cities, transport links and stadia to guarantee their futures when carbon resources are drained. Qatar hosted the FIFA World Cup in 2022, as part of a PR strategy critics decry as an attempt to 'sports wash' its poor human rights record. Saudi Arabia launched spending sprees to bankroll sports teams and leagues. In a politics and sports double play, it founded a pro golf league and held events at Trump resorts. The World Cup is coming in 2034. Trump was sure to give FIFA supremo Trump fan Gianni Infantino a shoutout in his speech Tuesday. Fans watch pregame ceremonies before the start of the World Cup match between Argentina and Saudi Arabia at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, on November 22, 2022. Luca Bruno/AP Admiration and even envy creep into Trump's voice in a region where he's far more comfortable than in the chancelleries of Old Europe. 'Majestic skyscrapers,' Trump, who's built a few towers himself, marveled in Riyadh. 'It's amazing genius.' He went on: 'in other cities throughout the peninsula, places like Dubai and Abu Dhabi and Doha, Muscat, the transformations have been unbelievably remarkable. Before our eyes, a new generation of leaders is transcending the ancient conflicts of tired divisions of the past and forging a future where the Middle East is defined by commerce, not chaos, where it exports technology, not terrorism.' In Trump's endorsement of the aggressive Gulf development model, it's hard not to see political aspirations for back home. What would Trump give for authoritarian powers, curbed political freedoms, no court and media scrutiny and the unlimited authority to spend billions that the region's leaders enjoy? The president's affection for strongmen is well known. But an interaction with MBS on Tuesday was jarring even for him. 'I like him a lot,' Trump said, smirking at the de facto Saudi leader, blamed by US intelligence for approving the gruesome 2018 killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. 'I like him too much. That's why we give so much. You know? Too much. I like you too much.' The president made it clear that America under his watch is open for business and won't ask too many questions about where the cash comes from. 'In recent years, far too many American presidents have been afflicted with the notion that it's our job to look into the souls of foreign leaders and use US policy to dispense justice for their sins,' Trump said, inaugurating a new age of an ultra-realist foreign policy Tuesday. 'I believe it is God's job to sit in judgment – my job (is) to defend America and to promote the fundamental interests of stability, prosperity, and peace.' How Qatar made itself America's diplomatic fixer Trump's endless search for 'wins' came up with $600 billion in new investments for the US on Tuesday. It's typical for such numbers to be inflated by back-counting of deals already on the books and future promises that never materialize. But there was also a win for the people of Syria, as Trump announced the lifting of US sanctions following the fall of the Assad regime last year – the latest of a string of presidential decisions that might irk Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The White House is emphasizing Trump's tour as primarily an economic mission. But the interlocking nature of US economic and security policy will be emphasized in his stop in Qatar. This is a country that defines the term 'punching above its weight.' To guarantee its safety in a violent region plagued by border conflicts, it's made itself indispensable to the US and its allies. At the vast, and once secret, Al Udeid Air Base that it built in the desert outside Doha, runways and US military installations stretch as far as the eye can see. As international geopolitical structures fray, the Doha government has made a name as a rare broker of intractable disputes between enemies, sometimes thousands of miles outside its own neighborhood. A US Air Force pilot conducts a pre-flight inspection on a C-17 Globemaster III at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, on June 29, 2023. Staff Sgt. Emily Farnsworth/US Air Force 'We are a small country, but we have a long outreach,' Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told the Washington Post in an interview published Monday. 'Sometimes, being a small country enables you to move fast and to be able to engage with everybody.' Qatar must have one of the busiest foreign ministries on the planet. It's worked on hostage releases and ceasefire efforts amid the Israeli war in Gaza and has sent billions of dollars in aid to Palestinian civilians. It played a huge role in facilitating the US evacuation from Afghanistan. Just this week, Qatar joined Egypt in negotiating with Hamas to secure the release of the last living American hostage in Gaza, Edan Alexander. Doha kept open channels to Russia after its invasion of Ukraine made it an international pariah. That helped it facilitate the release of several groups of Ukrainian children caught up in the conflict. Qatar also mediated between the Biden administration and the Maduro regime in Venezuela in a process that led to the release of 10 Americans. It is hosting peace talks between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwandan-backed M23 rebels aimed at ending fighting that killed thousands of people and created a humanitarian crisis. Qatar's willingness to deal with even the most extreme groups has sometimes angered its neighbors, including the Saudis, with whom it has experienced several diplomatic schisms. In the United States, Al Jazeera, the news network partially funded by the Qatari government, was often accused of bias during the Iraq war. Washington lawmakers have frequently called on administrations to sever ties with Qatar for allowing extremists belonging to the Taliban, Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood to live and work there. But its open door has often benefited US foreign policy. Qatar can talk to belligerents that a US government could never approach. It's become a proxy diplomatic toolbox for US presidents. And it reflects a region on the rise. 'The Saudis are playing a role in mediating with the Ukrainians and the Russians. The Emirates have been instrumental in bringing Americans wrongfully imprisoned in Russia home,' Steven Cook of the Council on Foreign Relations told reporters in a recent briefing. 'The Qataris obviously have had this big role to play in Gaza and to get a ceasefire there. And now you have the Omanis, who are deeply involved not only in the nuclear negotiations but … also with Houthis.' Cook added, 'It seems that the Trump administration sees America's partners in the Gulf as their trusted interlocutors, not treaty allies in Europe or other partners.' The deft Qatari touch seems to have failed it in the new flap over Air Force One. The offer of a new 747 to bridge the gap until new presidential jets come online was seized upon by critics as a blatant bid to influence the transactional and ethically challenged Trump – who has said he'd be 'stupid' to say no. Not only would such a gift appear to infringe the Constitution, but US intelligence would have to comb the jet to ensure it's not been compromised by foreign powers. And the offer has focused attention on a darker side of Qatar: a human rights record the Biden State Department said was stained by political imprisonments, restrictions on freedom of expression and a compromised legal system. Some Republicans are also wary of the idea. 'Many of their people are prevented from participating in the government. And some of the minority religious folks in Qatar are treated poorly. And so, I really haven't been a big fan,' Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul said on Fox News Monday. 'I wonder if our ability to judge their human rights record would be clouded by the fact of this large gift.' 'So, I wouldn't take it. That's just me. I don't think it's a good idea. '
