Is President Trump Corrupt? Three Stories.

[Fantine]

Is President Trump Corrupt? Take a look at these three stories.

Trump says Qatari jet could be ready for use as Air Force One in 6 months.​

Experts are deeply skeptical​

https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/10/politics/qatar-jet-trump-air-force


Then, following that incredible story, an even more unprecedented development.

The Trump-approved Qatari base in Idaho should raise major security concerns​

Opinion | Democrats have a rare opening as Trump backs a foreign base on U.S. soil

If Democrats want voters to treat this like the national security crisis it is, they’ll need to get a lot more comfortable explaining why Qatar isn’t our friend.

www.msnbc.com

To sum up the first story, the Qatari jet to be used as AF1 is possibly worth $400 million, and is a personal gift to Trump. It will cost the taxpayers a billion dollars.

In the second story, Trump issues an “executive order” “Assuring the Security of the State of Qatar.” The order far exceeds Presidential power, it should require approval by the Senate as a major treaty. During the entire Israel/Hamas war, or Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, the leaders of Hamas were living in luxury in Qatar. Trump’s order puts Qatar “on par with our NATO allies.” Then came the incredible news that Qatar will be allowed to build, or take possession of, a military base in Idaho. Huh?


The USA, and the American people get nothing out of this, but it gets worse. “Back in April, a Trump-owned company struck a deal to open a vast golf resort in Qatar.”

The third story is from the Associated Press.

Trump company strikes Qatari golf resort deal in a sign it’s not holding back from foreign business​

Updated 11:27 PM EDT, April 30, 2025

Trump company strikes Qatari golf resort deal in a sign it's not holding back from foreign business


To sum up, the Emir of Qatar has given Donald Trump a golf resort deal and then a jumbo jet. In return, Qatar gets a security status comparable to a NATO ally and even gets a military base in Idaho. Congress needs to say NO to all of the above. It is obvious that Donald Trump has sold out America to its foreign enemies.

Yes, yes, a hundred times yes.

 

[bèlla]

Trump tells US troops he is ready to send 'more than the National Guard' into cities

Oct 29 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump has told U.S. troops he was prepared to send "more than the National Guard" into U.S. cities if needed, in the latest demonstration of his willingness to escalate a confrontation with Democratic-led local governments that oppose the deployments.

Trump delivered his remarks on Tuesday aboard the George Washington aircraft carrier, which was docked at the Yokosuka naval base near Tokyo. His speech, which occasionally touched on partisan issues, was interrupted by applause and cheers from the troops several times.

"We have cities that are troubled ... and we're sending in our National Guard. And if we need more than the National Guard, we'll send more than the National Guard because we're going to have safe cities," Trump said.

When later asked about those remarks, Trump said he would do it if necessary.

"It hasn’t been necessary. We’re doing a great job without that. As you know, I’m allowed to do that," he told reporters on Air Force One during a flight to South Korea on Wednesday.

Under federal law, National Guard and other military troops are generally prohibited from conducting civilian law enforcement. But the Insurrection Act allows for an exception, giving troops the power to directly police and arrest people.

"If I want to enact a certain act I’m allowed to do it routinely. I’d be allowed to do whatever I want," Trump said in his remarks on Air Force One. "The courts wouldn’t get involved, nobody would get involved. I can send the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines. I can send anybody I wanted.”

~bella

 

[bèlla]

US military officials required to sign NDAs tied to Latin America mission, sources say

WASHINGTON, Oct 27 (Reuters) - U.S. military officials involved with President Donald Trump's expanding operations in Latin America have been asked to sign non-disclosure agreements, three U.S. officials say, a development that raises new questions about a military buildup that Venezuela fears may lead to an invasion.

The step is highly unusual, given that U.S. military officials are already required to shield national security secrets from public view, and comes as lawmakers in Congress say they are being kept in the dark about key aspects of the mission.

The officials who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity did not know how many members of the U.S. Defense Department had been asked to sign the agreements and did not offer further details on the scope of the NDAs.

While the Defense Department has turned to NDAs from time to time since Pete Hegseth became defense secretary in January, the Pentagon's use of non-disclosure agreements specific to activities in Latin America has not been previously reported.

The Pentagon announced last week the deployment of the Gerald Ford aircraft carrier group to Latin America, escalating a military buildup that experts say far exceeds any requirement for counter-narcotics operations -- the stated intent of the U.S. mission so far.

The U.S. military has carried out at least 13 strikes against alleged drug vessels, mostly in the Caribbean, since early September, killing about 57 people. The Pentagon has provided few details about the people targeted but has acknowledged some of them include people from Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador.

The carrier strike group adds another roughly 10,000 troops and enormous firepower to a buildup that already includes guided missile destroyers, F-35 fighter jets, a nuclear submarine and around 6,500 troops.

The Pentagon has not explained why such firepower is required for the counter-narcotics operations.

Hegseth has taken a series of steps to try to control the flow of information since taking over the Pentagon in January. He told Pentagon staff they must obtain permission before interacting with members of Congress, according to an Oct. 15 memo. He has also launched leak investigations and demanded Pentagon-based journalists sign a new press access policy, taking away the credentials of those who did not.

~bella

 

[GoldenBoy89]

Trump tells US troops he is ready to send 'more than the National Guard' into cities

Oct 29 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump has told U.S. troops he was prepared to send "more than the National Guard" into U.S. cities if needed, in the latest demonstration of his willingness to escalate a confrontation with Democratic-led local governments that oppose the deployments.

Trump delivered his remarks on Tuesday aboard the George Washington aircraft carrier, which was docked at the Yokosuka naval base near Tokyo. His speech, which occasionally touched on partisan issues, was interrupted by applause and cheers from the troops several times.

"We have cities that are troubled ... and we're sending in our National Guard. And if we need more than the National Guard, we'll send more than the National Guard because we're going to have safe cities," Trump said.

When later asked about those remarks, Trump said he would do it if necessary.

"It hasn’t been necessary. We’re doing a great job without that. As you know, I’m allowed to do that," he told reporters on Air Force One during a flight to South Korea on Wednesday.

Under federal law, National Guard and other military troops are generally prohibited from conducting civilian law enforcement. But the Insurrection Act allows for an exception, giving troops the power to directly police and arrest people.

"If I want to enact a certain act I’m allowed to do it routinely. I’d be allowed to do whatever I want," Trump said in his remarks on Air Force One. "The courts wouldn’t get involved, nobody would get involved. I can send the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines. I can send anybody I wanted.”

~bella

He’s trying to get people killed.

 

[Dale]

US military officials required to sign NDAs tied to Latin America mission, sources say

WASHINGTON, Oct 27 (Reuters) - U.S. military officials involved with President Donald Trump's expanding operations in Latin America have been asked to sign non-disclosure agreements, three U.S. officials say, a development that raises new questions about a military buildup that Venezuela fears may lead to an invasion.

The step is highly unusual, given that U.S. military officials are already required to shield national security secrets from public view, and comes as lawmakers in Congress say they are being kept in the dark about key aspects of the mission.

The officials who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity did not know how many members of the U.S. Defense Department had been asked to sign the agreements and did not offer further details on the scope of the NDAs.

While the Defense Department has turned to NDAs from time to time since Pete Hegseth became defense secretary in January, the Pentagon's use of non-disclosure agreements specific to activities in Latin America has not been previously reported.

The Pentagon announced last week the deployment of the Gerald Ford aircraft carrier group to Latin America, escalating a military buildup that experts say far exceeds any requirement for counter-narcotics operations -- the stated intent of the U.S. mission so far.

The U.S. military has carried out at least 13 strikes against alleged drug vessels, mostly in the Caribbean, since early September, killing about 57 people. The Pentagon has provided few details about the people targeted but has acknowledged some of them include people from Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador.

The carrier strike group adds another roughly 10,000 troops and enormous firepower to a buildup that already includes guided missile destroyers, F-35 fighter jets, a nuclear submarine and around 6,500 troops.

The Pentagon has not explained why such firepower is required for the counter-narcotics operations.

Hegseth has taken a series of steps to try to control the flow of information since taking over the Pentagon in January. He told Pentagon staff they must obtain permission before interacting with members of Congress, according to an Oct. 15 memo. He has also launched leak investigations and demanded Pentagon-based journalists sign a new press access policy, taking away the credentials of those who did not.

~bella

From the story quoted by Bella: "The Pentagon has not explained why such firepower is required for the counter-narcotics operations."

After the first couple of boat strikes in the Caribbean I looked at some commentary. Lawyers say that it is against international law, blatantly illegal, and amounts to murder. One comment is that sending an aircraft carrier to deal with a drug boat is like using ten sticks of dynamite to kill a couple of roaches in your kitchen.

There is a problem with the Pentagon, that is, the Secretary of Defense, telling military officers to sign non-disclosure agreements. A non-disclosure agreement is a contract. No contract is valid if it is contrary to the law or contrary to the Consitution. Congress has investigative powers and it has had investigative powers since the first time Congress met. No "non-disclosure agreement" from Pete Hegseth can change that. Congress has the Constitutional responsibility to declare war, and so has the authority to investigate any circumstance that could lead to war. It looks like these non-disclosure agreements are void.

Bella, thanks for sharing this information!

 

[bèlla]

After the first couple of boat strikes in the Caribbean I looked at some commentary. Lawyers say that it is against international law, blatantly illegal, and amounts to murder. One comment is that sending an aircraft carrier to deal with a drug boat is like using ten sticks of dynamite to kill a couple of roaches in your kitchen.

Thank you for including the legal comments you found. These are strange times and staying informed is important. If you find anything else related to the story feel free to add it.

~bella

 

[bèlla]

United States of America to begin testing Nuclear Weapons effective immediately - POTUS

 

[Dale]

United States of America to begin testing Nuclear Weapons effective immediately - POTUS

View attachment 372362

I was just at a prayer breakfast with the men from my church. Usually they are downright reactionary. Today, one of them said that more nuclear testing is not what we need. No one disagreed.


Before Trump, no President ever tried to give orders by text message or message board. It doesn't seem very official. As far as testing weapons "on an equal basis" -- what does that mean?

 

[bèlla]

Before Trump, no President ever tried to give orders by text message or message board. It doesn't seem very official. As far as testing weapons "on an equal basis" -- what does that mean?

He’s referring to China and Russia.

China, Russia Rage After Trump Orders Nuclear Weapons Test; Xi Warns America To ‘Obey Ban Or…’

China has issued a strong warning to the United States after President Donald Trump announced that he had ordered the Pentagon to resume nuclear weapons testing “on an equal basis” with China and Russia. Beijing urged Washington to respect the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and avoid moves that could destabilize global security or trigger a new nuclear arms race.

 

[bèlla]

Trump Swaps Decorated Admiral With 33-Year-Old Former DOGE Employee

The highly unorthodox personnel change affects a critical government research role.

THE EXPERIENCED HEAD OF A CRITICAL OFFICE that helps organize important technical research and disburse billions of dollars in funding for the U.S. Navy is being replaced by a 33-year-old former DOGE employee with no apparent naval experience.

Rear Admiral Kurt Rothenhaus was recently removed from his post as chief of naval research, the top post at the Office of Naval Research (ONR), and replaced by Rachel Riley, a former partner at McKinsey & Company and Rhodes Scholar recipient who has been serving since January in a DOGE-related roles inside the Trump administration.

The move, which was described to us by two officials familiar with the matter, was confirmed by both the administration and Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

“Usually the head of Naval Research is a very senior member of the military or the senior executive service with an extensive experience in technology, science, engineering,” Kelly, a former naval aviator and NASA astronaut, said in a brief interview. “That’s the kind of person we put in that job. So I think it’ll be important to see—and I don’t have a lot of information on this nominee’s background—but I do know it’s somebody rather junior who came from the world of DOGE.”

 

[bèlla]

Team Trump reveals dystopian 'Master Plan' for Gaza

The Grayzone's Max Blumenthal and Aaron Mate on a particularly revealing moment in the recent 60 Minutes interview with Trump Middle East negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner that left Kushner embarrassed and stunned.

 

[Hans Blaster]

He’s referring to China and Russia.

China, Russia Rage After Trump Orders Nuclear Weapons Test; Xi Warns America To ‘Obey Ban Or…’

China has issued a strong warning to the United States after President Donald Trump announced that he had ordered the Pentagon to resume nuclear weapons testing “on an equal basis” with China and Russia. Beijing urged Washington to respect the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and avoid moves that could destabilize global security or trigger a new nuclear arms race.

There are several problems with Trump's "order" by not-even-a-tweet.

1. The Department of Defense has never tested a nuclear weapon. That is the responsibility of the National Nuclear Security Agency which is part of the Department of Energy. NNSA designs, manufactures, maintains, and tests nuclear weapons. This would include any component testing.

2. None of the major powers has tested exploded a nuclear weapon in over 30 years thanks to the treaty.

3. It would take months (at least) to set up and instrument a test. The Nevada Test Range has been closed for decades. The people who did those last physical tests have mostly retired.

4. NNSA tests weapons and subcomponents regularly by numerical simulation. This is their test apparatus:

https://asc.llnl.gov

5. The US is at an *advantage* in the "test on computers, not in deserts" regime. We would be stupid to change that.

 

[bèlla]

Trump administration slashes number of refugees, prioritizes Afrikaners

The State Department will also no longer manage the resettlement of refugees.

The Trump administration announced Thursday that it will slash the number of refugees the United States will accept in the coming year and prioritize white South Africans it alleges are facing discrimination in their country.

In notices posted to the Federal Register, the White House said that only 7,500 refugees will be accepted during the coming fiscal year, which runs from October 2025 to September 2026. The notices added that priority will be given under this category to Afrikaner refugees “and other victims of illegal or unjust discrimination in their respective homelands.”

That’s a dramatic drop from the Biden administration, which regularly accepted around 100,000 refugees a year. It also represents the lowest number of refugees to be admitted since the 1970s, when there was a cap of 17,000 a year. Even during Covid-19 under the first Trump administration, the U.S. accepted at least 11,000 refugees a year.

The administration also said it is shifting refugee resettlement contracts from the purview of the State Department to the Office of Refugee Resettlement at the Department of Health and Human Services — a major departure from the typical way the U.S. refugee program has been administered under recent administrations.

The administration offered little explanation for the changes in the notice, beyond the need to conduct refugee resettlement “in a manner that serves the national interest, promotes efficient use of taxpayer dollars, protects the integrity of the United States immigration system, and supports refugees in achieving early economic self-sufficiency and assimilation into American society.”

The changes in how the program is administered comes after a July layoff at the State Department largely gutted its Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, which oversaw and coordinated refugee efforts with U.S. embassies around the world.

ORR previously mainly administered shelters for migrants — including those for unaccompanied minors — and distributed resources to refugee families. It will now take over all work with private and public partners to place refugees around the U.S. and provide them with funding to sustain their operations.

The White House said that “no refugees will be admitted in FY26 until the appropriate consultations with Congress are held, which are being delayed because certain members of Congress insisted on shutting down the government.” It added that the Trump administration is looking to “end” alleged “abuse of the refugee program” under President Joe Biden.

HHS did not respond to requests for comment. The State Department referred reporters to the same statement issued by the White House.

But the policy change reflects the Trump administration’s desire to put more restrictions on who can enter the United States, as it also cracks down on unauthorized immigration. The Trump administration nixed Biden administration programs offering temporary legal status to Afghans, Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelan migrants earlier this year. Administration officials have hinted at cutting such programs for Salvadoran and Honduran migrants as well.

~bella

 

[Dale]

Trump administration slashes number of refugees, prioritizes Afrikaners

The State Department will also no longer manage the resettlement of refugees.

The Trump administration announced Thursday that it will slash the number of refugees the United States will accept in the coming year and prioritize white South Africans it alleges are facing discrimination in their country.

In notices posted to the Federal Register, the White House said that only 7,500 refugees will be accepted during the coming fiscal year, which runs from October 2025 to September 2026. The notices added that priority will be given under this category to Afrikaner refugees “and other victims of illegal or unjust discrimination in their respective homelands.”

That’s a dramatic drop from the Biden administration, which regularly accepted around 100,000 refugees a year. It also represents the lowest number of refugees to be admitted since the 1970s, when there was a cap of 17,000 a year. Even during Covid-19 under the first Trump administration, the U.S. accepted at least 11,000 refugees a year.

The administration also said it is shifting refugee resettlement contracts from the purview of the State Department to the Office of Refugee Resettlement at the Department of Health and Human Services — a major departure from the typical way the U.S. refugee program has been administered under recent administrations.

The administration offered little explanation for the changes in the notice, beyond the need to conduct refugee resettlement “in a manner that serves the national interest, promotes efficient use of taxpayer dollars, protects the integrity of the United States immigration system, and supports refugees in achieving early economic self-sufficiency and assimilation into American society.”

The changes in how the program is administered comes after a July layoff at the State Department largely gutted its Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, which oversaw and coordinated refugee efforts with U.S. embassies around the world.

ORR previously mainly administered shelters for migrants — including those for unaccompanied minors — and distributed resources to refugee families. It will now take over all work with private and public partners to place refugees around the U.S. and provide them with funding to sustain their operations.

The White House said that “no refugees will be admitted in FY26 until the appropriate consultations with Congress are held, which are being delayed because certain members of Congress insisted on shutting down the government.” It added that the Trump administration is looking to “end” alleged “abuse of the refugee program” under President Joe Biden.

HHS did not respond to requests for comment. The State Department referred reporters to the same statement issued by the White House.

But the policy change reflects the Trump administration’s desire to put more restrictions on who can enter the United States, as it also cracks down on unauthorized immigration. The Trump administration nixed Biden administration programs offering temporary legal status to Afghans, Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelan migrants earlier this year. Administration officials have hinted at cutting such programs for Salvadoran and Honduran migrants as well.

~bella

Interesting. Donald Trump is so furious with Venezuela and its leader that he seems willing to go to war. It looks like we are heading in that direction. Yet he cannot imagine why anyone would want to flee Venezuela. Quite a paradox.