James Carville has had enough. The veteran political strategist is calling on Democrats to go on the offensive over what he calls the “corruption” surrounding the second term of President Donald Trump.
Speaking with NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo on Monday, Carville said the Democratic Party must hold Trump accountable for accepting a luxury jet from Qatar, and essentially auctioning off access to himself via his own cryptocurrency.
“He’s taking a $400 million jet for lifetime use from a foreign government. He’s selling places at a White House dinner for people that buy his memecoin, which goes right into his pocket,” Carville said.
“And that’s what the tragedy is. That’s what the Democrats need to do, they need to jump on this corruption and never get off of it.”
Trump is facing bipartisan backlash over his plan to replace Air Force One with a luxurious Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar’s royal family, and then hold onto it after he leaves the White House.
Critics say the move may violate the Constitution’s Foreign Emoluments Clause, which bars U.S. officials from accepting gifts from “any king, prince, or foreign state” without congressional approval.
A Qatari official told CNN the gift doesn’t break any laws, as the plane is technically being donated to the Pentagon rather than to Trump personally. Trump insists he won’t use the jet after his leaves office, and that the so-called “palace in the sky” will go to his presidential library.
Trump has repeatedly defended his plans to accept the plane from Qatar, saying he would be “stupid” not too.
The president doubled down on his defense in an interview aboard Air Force One with Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Tuesday. “Some people say, ‘Oh, you shouldn’t accept gifts for the country,’” Trump said. “My attitude is, why wouldn’t I accept the gift? We’re giving to everybody else?”
Even Republican lawmakers aren’t convinced that the president should be accepting such a lavish gift from a foreign government.
“I’m not flying on a Qatari plane. They support Hamas,” Sen. Rick Scott, a staunch MAGA loyalist, told The Hill. “I don’t know how you make it safe.”
Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer suggested the gift from Qatar would be the “largest presidential bribe” in modern history. “It’s not just naked corruption, it’s a grave national security threat,” he said in a Tuesday statement.
Carville also pointed to Trump’s $TRUMP memecoin, which offers top investors a chance to meet the president in person. A contest that ended Monday rewarded the top 220 buyers into the coin the chance to dine with Trump at one of his D.C. members’ clubs. The top 25 investors also get a VIP White House tour.
The competition has faced accusations of essentially being a chance for foreign nationals to buy direct access to the president while also financially benefiting Trump.
“The Trump memecoin is the single most corrupt act ever committed by a president,” Democratic Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy told Reuters. “Donald Trump is essentially posting his Venmo for any billionaire CEO or foreign oligarch to cash in some favors by secretly sending him millions of dollars.”
Speaking to Cuomo, Carville had one suggestion for Democrats to tackle Trump head on.
“Pass a law that says the ethics that apply for an air-traffic controller, a food inspector, or a park ranger apply to the president of the United States,” he said.
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