Say Something Real
By Michelle Bryant
Michelle Bryant
Under the Trump administration, a troubling narrative has emerged that America might as well have a metaphorical “For Sale” sign plastered across its forehead—or perhaps, more aptly, Uncle Sam’s. This narrative is amplified by actions that blur the lines between public service and personal indulgence, with the clearest example being the acceptance of a luxurious aircraft from the government of Qatar. This move raises serious questions about violations of the Emoluments Clause and starkly contradicts the image of American excellence that the administration claims to champion.
By now, you have heard this a hundred times. However, for the people in the back, too busy kissing Trump’s ring, let’s explain this again. The Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution exists to prevent federal officials, including the president, from accepting gifts or benefits from foreign governments without congressional approval. The Trump administration’s decision to accept an opulent plane from Qatar appears to be a blatant violation of this fundamental safeguard. Such actions risk compromising the integrity of the presidency by creating conflicts of interest and opening the door to undue influence by foreign powers.
Beyond the legal implications, this decision sends the wrong message about America’s priorities. For a president who has repeatedly touted “America First,” and American independence, accepting a foreign government’s charity undermines the self-reliance that is supposed to define American excellence. It raises the uncomfortable question: How can the leader of the free world claim to put American interests first while riding around in a gift from another nation? Ok, actually just flying back and forth to his golf course every weekend.
Trump misses the point that Air Force One is more than just a mobile command center that allows the president to oversee the functions of government while traveling. It is meant to symbolize the strength, functionality, and efficiency of American leadership—not wealth, excess, or dominance. Trump has distorted its purpose and diminished its symbolic value.
Reports of platinum and gold embellishments on the plane are particularly jarring in the context of the struggles faced by many Americans. Millions of working-class citizens cannot afford basic healthcare, child care, wage stagnation, higher education, and decent housing. The President’s rhetoric doesn’t match his actions, nor mirror the realities of the average American’s life. Trump is either tone-deaf, out-of-touch, or indifferent.
Couple this “gift” with a pending Trump administration program that offers foreign nationals a chance to buy the right to live and work permanently in the United States, for the meager price of $5 million, and the idea of America being for sale doesn’t seem farfetched. Lest I forget to include the rumored Hunger Games of Immigration, in which the Department of Homeland Security and Trump officials are considering a game show, pitting immigrants against each other, for a chance at a quicker path to citizenship.
Far too many actions of this administration promote the widening economic, racial, and political divides in our nation. MAGA or Make America Great Again misses a basic premise, this country isn’t an old plantation that should be restored to its former legacy. We are a nation that is intended to grow, evolve, and embrace the future. True greatness cannot be bought—it must be earned, one decision, one action, and one commitment to do the right thing, one day at a time.