What Took you So Long, Chuck Schumer?
The Leader draws his "red line." Belatedly.
Bonus email this afternoon — sharing my latest piece:
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Chuck Schumer has finally had enough. He’s done with “very strong” letters.
On Tuesday, the Senate Democratic leader announced that President Donald Trump’s plan to accept a Qatari-funded luxury jet and turn it into Air Force One was so “troubling” that he was announcing “a hold on all Trump Justice Department nominees.” Schumer also wants to get answers about the gift from Attorney General Pam Bondi, who personally signed off on what Schumer called “this clearly unethical deal.”
Good. Schumer can’t completely block the appointments, but he can at least slow them down. It's symbolic. And it's better than nothing.
But why now? Why has Schumer waited for more than 100 days to flex even this limited amount of Senate muscles? Granted, this “palace in the sky” debacle has resulted in bipartisan cringing, but it’s hardly the first time that Trump and his administration’s corruption and contempt for the law have been on display.
We could start with his first week in office, when Trump issued blanket pardons for Jan. 6 rioters, including those who assaulted police officers. Or when he launched a purge of the FBI, seemingly targeting agents who had investigated his own misconduct.
Maybe that would have been a good time for Schumer to put his foot down?
Or how about when Trump suspended the enforcement of a foreign bribery ban? Or when he called for the impeachment of a federal judge who ruled against him? Or when he fired the head of the Office of Special Counsel who protects whistleblowers? Or fired the head of the Office of Government Ethics? Or fired prosecutors who worked on Capitol riot investigations?
Maybe Schumer could have drawn a red line when Trump slashed the office that prosecutes misconduct by public officials or after Trump dropped charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams — a move that lead to the resignation of the acting SDNY U.S. attorney and several other federal prosecutors.
A “hold” on Trump DOJ nominees? Why didn’t Schumer take that step the minute Trump made it clear he could bring Kilmar Abrego Garcia back to the U.S. — but wasn’t going to? Or when he suggested to the president of El Salvador that he would like to send “homegrown” criminals — American citizens — to his notorious prison?
Why didn’t Schumer stand on the Senate floor and call for a halt to Trump nominations after the president issued executive orders personally targeting two critics — including Chris Krebs — who had challenged his 2020 election lies?
Where was the “hold” when Trump stripped the security clearances of law firms who had challenged him? Or when he threatened to strip licenses from media critics? Or when Elon Musk’s team reportedly accessed sensitive and protected taxpayer information as part of a plan to facilitate mass deportations?
Why didn’t Senate Democrats exercise their power to slow down Trump defense and national security appointments after his top aides were caught chatting about military action on Signal? Or how about when Trump fired six National Security Council officials after he met with far-right conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer?
Perhaps it would have been a good idea to impose a “hold” on certain nominations after Trump refused to rule out the use of military force to seize Greenland? Or when he launched a purge of top generals, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs?
Schumer did, indeed, write a “strong letter” after Trump froze billions in federal grants for Harvard. But why didn’t Schumer call for a “hold” on Trump nominees to the Department of Homeland Security after masked agents began seizing people on the streets? Or after we learned that Trump’s administration was arresting international students seemingly for little more than for writing op-eds?
If we are looking for urgent moments that require explanations, why didn’t Schumer declare a “hold” after White House aide Stephen Miller said that administration was considering suspending habeas corpus?
My point here is an obvious one, but it bears repeating. The circumstances of this Qatari gift offer a very visible symbol of Trump’s susceptibility to corruption. It is hard to miss the jumbo jet in the room. But we have seen countless other examples over the last 100 days of Trump and his administration flouting ethical guidelines, constitutional norms and legal precedent.
Sen. Chris Murphy, for example, has been banging the drum about Trump’s potential $TRUMP crypto conflict of interest for months. “My hair has been on fire about the meme coin from day one,” Murphy told The Washington Post. “That is a level of corruption that is just absolutely stunning. It was already the most corrupt thing a president has ever done in the history of the United States.”
And the worst part of all this, of course, is that the list of Trump’s various schemes, misdeeds and alarmingly dangerous decisions is literally growing as we speak — whether Chuck Schumer finally wants to wake up and try do something about it or not.
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A quick note to readers:
Folks, I know that there are a lot of claims on your time and your wallet, but this should be on your list: Support the voices that are supporting democracy, the rule of law, free speech, and fundamental decency.
As you know: You may disagree with me from time to time (and I expect you will, because I’m not promising you a safe space here). But I can promise you straight, sober, sane (and snarky) commentary.
And dog pictures.
Speaking of the Qatari Grift…
The story actually keeps getting weirder. Apparently the Qataris have been trying unsuccessfully to sell the thing for years.
This piece as published in July 2020:
The jet was delivered back in 2012, and in the past eight years has just 1,069 hours and 279 cycles on it. It’s pretty crazy to think that over the course of eight years the plane flew just over 1,000 hours, which is an average of ~130 hours per year. That’s an average of just over two hours of flying per week.
The lavish plane has seating for just 89 guests plus room for 14 crew members.
The price for the plane hasn’t been disclosed, though presumably it’s a case where you have to ask about the price, it’s not for you…
Price aside, one seriously has to wonder what kind of a buyer would consider this plane. ……
In August 2018, another Qatar Amiri Boeing 747-8 was listed for sale. That plane had also been delivered in 2012, and was essentially a sister plane to this one. That plane had only 436 hours of flying time and 200 cycles.
Bottom line
The Qatari royal family is once again trying to sell a Boeing 747-8. The last one was listed for sale a couple of years ago, and after no success, the plane ended up being gifted to Turkey’s president.
I can’t imagine Qatar will find a buyer for this plane, so one has to wonder who this 747-8 will be gifted to. 😉
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And then there is this: “Turning Qatari 747 into Air Force One could cost $1 billion and take years, experts say.”
Converting a Qatari-owned 747 jet into a new Air Force One for President Donald Trump would involve installing multiple top-secret systems, cost over $1 billion and take years to complete, three aviation experts told NBC News.
They said that accepting the 13-year-old jet would likely cost U.S. taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars over time, noting that refurbishing the commercial plane would exceed its current value of $400 million. The project might also not be completed by the end of Trump’s term in 2029, at which time the plane is expected to be handed over to Trump’s presidential library foundation.
Richard Aboulafia, an analyst and consultant on commercial and military aviation, said he thought turning the Qatari jetliner into Air Force One would cost billions and take years.
“You’re taking a 747, disassembling it, reassembling it, and then jacking it up to a very high level,” said Aboulafia, a managing director at AeroDynamic Advisory, a consulting firm.
Oh.
Wednesday afternoon dogs
From my daughter’s “Dog a Day” Substack…. our French dog, Zokam,i visits a local church.
… and waits for his human brother (my grandson) to return from the kebab shop.
Chuck Schumer is a bloviating gas bag who thrills at pontificating. The DEMS would do well to replace him with someone of greater substance and import.
The Susan Collins of Democrats. Feh.