Rahm Emanuel bashed President Donald Trump‘s decision to accept Qatar‘s $400 million “flying palace,” revealing that he himself rejected bribes during the Obama administration.
The former White House chief of staff under President Barack Obama and ambassador to Japan told The View Wednesday that “the White House has a for sale sign on the front lawn, and everybody knows it.”
“Look, I’m from Chicago, we got a low bar,” he remarked. “This is a cash-and-carry business over at this White House.”
He added: “You have Supreme Court justices taking private jets, Bob Menendez going to jail for taking bribes. We have lieutenants and corporals in the military with higher ethical standards and laws.”
Emanuel, who is also an avid Trump critic and potential Democratic candidate for president in 2028, pointed out the irony of the president’s ongoing negotiations with China over tariffs while still continuing to accept money from them.
“Literally while they’re negotiating against China on the trade deal, he just took $300 million into his Bitcoin business from a Chinese company associated with the Chinese Communist Party,” he said.
The former White House official recalled refusing a bribe from the Saudi Arabian government during his first trip to the country with former President Obama, when he served as chief of staff.
“You get there, you walk in the room, and there [is] an ostrich briefcase,” he said. “I open it up: diamond necklaces, earrings, bracelets, rings.”
“In your room?” asked a shocked Sunny Hostin.
“Yah. I took a photo, I sent it to my wife Amy and I said ‘not happening, not happening,’” he said.
He then went on to express his shock at “the idea that you’re going to take a jet, you’re going to get an investment [of] $300 million from [the] Chinese Communist Party while you’re negotiating with them, you’re going to sit here and do a private event for investors in your bitcoin.”
Emanuel told the panel that the current Republican Congress puts “the three monkeys to shame: See no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil.”
“They’re firing all the inspector generals who police all the corruption,” he added.
Yet, he also revealed some good news about the Trump administration’s blatant corruption, and it’s that “the American people know it and they want a break on this.”
He believes that the the Democrats’ focus for the midterm elections should be on the American people’s growing animosity towards the administration and the “rubber stamp” Republican Congress that is in charge.
“Somebody needs to be a break on this chaos and this corruption,” he said.
Trump has been under fire from both Democrats and Republicans after revealing that he would accept the $400 million jet from Qatar.
Loyal Trump cheerleaders like Ted Cruz and Rick Scott have raised concerns over “significant espionage and surveillance problems” around the jet.
Laura Loomer even called out the president on X for accepting the Qatari gift Sunday, stating how “this really going to be such a stain on the admin if this is true,” noting how “disappointed” she was.
The post read: “I love President Trump. I would take a bullet for him. But, I have to call a spade a spade. We cannot accept a $400 million ‘gift’ from jihadists in suits.”
I love President Trump. I would take a bullet for him. But, I have to call a spade a spade. We cannot accept a $400 million “gift” from jihadists in suits. The Qataris fund the same Iranian proxies in Hamas and Hezbollah who have murdered US Service Members. The same… https://t.co/V4kzJpCsRk pic.twitter.com/HqVztPfZZ3
— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) May 11, 2025
Trump himself continues to stand by his decision to accept the “free” gift, telling Fox News that his “attitude is, why wouldn’t I accept the gift? We’re giving to everybody else?”
He also took to Truth Social Tuesday to say: “Why should our military, and therefore our taxpayers, be forced to pay hundreds of millions of Dollars when they can get it for FREE from a country that wants to reward us for a job well done.”
He added: “This big savings will be spent, instead, to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! Only a FOOL would not accept this gift on behalf of our Country.”
The constitution states that Congress has “the authority to impeach or remove” a president, vice president, or federal civil officers “for treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.”
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