11-05-2025
Qatar's gift to Trump reveals a loophole big enough to fly a jumbo jet through
Jacob T. Levy is Tomlinson professor of political theory and coordinator of the Research Group on Constitutional Studies at McGill University, and a senior fellow at the Niskanen Center.
During his first term, Donald Trump tested the boundaries of presidential financial ethics. Most notably, foreign governments spent lavishly at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, raising questions about the constitutional prohibition on public officials receiving 'presents' or 'emoluments' from any foreign state. What would that mean in the context of foreign governments and their lobbyists acting as customers of an ongoing business owned by the official? Who, if anyone, has the authority to do anything about it?
