Trump company strikes Qatari golf resort deal in a sign it's not holding back from foreign business
The Trump Organization has finalized a deal to build a luxury golf resort in Qatar, marking its first foreign venture since Donald Trump assumed the presidency, despite previous pledges to avoid foreign deals that could pose conflicts of interest. This project, featuring Trump-branded villas and an 18-hole golf course constructed by a Saudi company, involves partnerships with Dar Global and Qatari Diar, raising ethical concerns due to the latter's government ownership. Critics, including watchdog groups, argue that such ventures might compromise Trump's decision-making as a potential future president, prioritizing personal financial gains. The deal aligns with previous contentious partnerships and investments involving Trump's business and Saudi Arabia, drawing scrutiny over Trump's ties to influential Saudi figures. Despite these concerns, the Trump Organization persists in expanding its international brand, indicating potential conflicts of interest in future political endeavors, especially with the backing of foreign entities.
The Trump Organization has entered into a new venture to construct a luxury golf resort in Qatar, in collaboration with a Saudi Arabian company and Qatari Diar, a company owned by the Qatari government. This marks the organization's first foreign deal since Donald Trump's presidency, despite initial pledges to avoid such ventures to prevent conflicts of interest.
The project includes Trump-branded beachside villas and an 18-hole golf course, raising concerns over the influence of foreign governments on Trump's potential future presidency, particularly given the Qatari government's involvement. This appears to contravene a weaker second-term ethics pledge to avoid deals involving foreign governments.
Watchdog groups, such as Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, have criticized the deal, emphasizing the potential for Trump's financial interests to conflict with U.S. public policy priorities. These concerns are heightened by Trump's previous controversial ties to Saudi Arabia and its crown prince.
The deal is part of a pattern of Trump's business engagements with foreign entities, including past agreements for a Vietnamese golf resort and Saudi-related projects in Riyadh. This raises questions about the ethical implications of Trump's international business dealings during his political career.
The Trump Organization's ongoing expansion, despite potential conflicts of interest, suggests a strategic move to enhance its brand recognition globally. This expansion includes ventures aligned with Trump's personal financial interests, such as his involvement with the social media platform Truth Social and the cybercurrency trading platform World Liberty Financial.
Trump's business activities have previously drawn legal challenges, such as lawsuits alleging violations of the emoluments clause, which prohibits presidents from accepting gifts or payments from foreign or domestic governments. Although these cases were not heard by the Supreme Court, the ethical concerns persist.
The absence of response from Republican leaders in Congress regarding the Qatari deal reflects a broader political silence on the ethical issues surrounding Trump's foreign business ventures, despite the potential risks to U.S. foreign policy and governance.