Watergate 2025

May 22, 2025

Donald Trump’s climb down after talking with Putin and his audacious acceptance of a new $400-million jet from Qatar highlights ethical and legal concerns about his regime. The jumbo jet is one of the most luxurious private planes ever made. It seats 90 and has three lounges, five kitchens, a spiral staircase, 11 bathrooms, a main suite, and a private marble bathroom with heated floors and gold fittings. The Qatari royal family is gifting it to Trump for use during his presidency. The title will be transferred to the US Air Force and then given to the Trump Presidential Library. The deal was arranged by Steve Witkoff, a pal of Trump’s and family business partner, who is also his special envoy to Russia as well as to Israel and Iran. Most Americans dislike this transaction and others involving Trump and cryptocurrencies. But Frank Vogl, anti-corruption activist and founder of Transparency International, said in an unvarnished UK podcast called “The Disorder” that the plane deal is the tip of an iceberg: “This is part of a bigger picture I’ve never seen in my lifetime. This dwarfs Watergate.”