- A Wall Street Journal report revealed that a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family secretly invested $500 million in the Trump family's cryptocurrency venture, with $187 million going directly to Trump family entities.
- The investment was made in early 2025, and just weeks later, Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan met with President Donald Trump and Trump Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff in the White House to discuss AI-related technology.
- Two months after the meeting, the Trump administration gave the UAE access to 500,000 advanced AI chips per year, despite previous concerns that the technology could be passed to China.
- Critics, including Melanie D'Arrigo, have called the deal a "bribe," with D'Arrigo stating, "UAE royals gave the Trump family $500 million, and Trump, in his presidential capacity, gave them access to tightly guarded American AI chips."
- Jesse Eisinger, a reporter and editor at ProPublica, argued that the scandal "should rank among the greatest US scandals ever," while Democratic strategist David Axelrod called it "historic in nature."
- The deal has sparked widespread outrage, with Tommy Vietor wondering, "How do you add up the cost of corruption this massive?" and former Rep. Tom Malinkowski warning that those involved could face sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Act.
- The report has raised concerns about the Trump family's corrupt business dealings and the potential risks to national security, with many calling for further investigation and accountability.
EPSTEIN FILES NOTE
Donald Trump appeared in flight logs, black book, emails, and photos released by the DOJ.
