Trump's Middle East Business Ties Triple Since First Term
United States President Donald Trump's family's business ties to the Middle East have more than tripled since the president's first term, according to a CNN calculation, including a series of new projects announced since his return to the White House, CE Report quotes Kosova Press.
Amid ongoing plans for luxury skyscrapers, golf courses and cryptocurrency deals in the region, Trump is traveling this week to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates - not just as president of the United States, but also as the patriarch of a business family that continues to expand in that part of the world.
His financial ties to the Middle East have raised concerns among government ethicists, who say it is difficult to determine whether he is acting in the interests of the United States or in his own pocket.
“When the American people elect a president, they expect that person to work for them, not for personal gain,” said Robert Weissman, co-president of the consumer rights group Public Citizen. Weissman and other watchdog groups say these financial ties create opportunities for foreign powers to try to influence American policy through lucrative business deals.
