Trump’s Latest Grifts: 747s, Crooked Contracts, and Sweetheart Deals Arrow

Instead of helping working families, Donald Trump and his billionaire administration are trying to line their pockets, secure deals and government contracts for themselves, and skirt the law. While Americans are struggling with rising costs with no end in sight, Trump and his administration officials are busy cashing in - all while preparing to fly around in Trump's new luxury jet.

Here's a look at the latest ways Trump and his cronies are lining their pockets:

Washington Post: "Trump's gifted Qatari 747 would be a security problem, officials say"

"[C]urrent and former U.S. military, defense and Secret Service officials said [Trump] will likely have to waive existing security specifications to be able to use the plane. …

"[E]ven Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), a Trump ally, told reporters on Monday that he wants 'to make sure that this whole thing is kosher,' adding that 'time will tell.'"

Washington Post: "Trump's Middle East trip marked by potential private business conflicts"

"The president's sons, who head the Trump Organization, have spent the past few weeks crisscrossing the Middle East, laying the groundwork for deals that will benefit the company and, in some instances, Trump himself. …

"Trump has notably declined to duplicate his first-term pledge to not advance his personal business interests from the White House, but he has also managed to evade efforts by Congress and the courts to rein in his potential conflicts. …

"Jeff Hauser, executive director of the Revolving Door Project, a public interest group … [said] 'The Trump family is generating potentially billions and billions of dollars.'"

New York Times: "Elon Musk's Boring Company Is in Talks With Government Over Amtrak Project"

"The Federal Railroad Administration, the nation's railroad agency, has brought in the Boring Company, the tunneling firm founded by Elon Musk, to see if it could help with a multibillion-dollar Amtrak project, according to three people familiar with the discussions. …

"Mr. Musk has also been pushing the F.A.A. to cancel a multibillion-dollar air traffic control contract with Verizon in favor of a system from Starlink."

NBC News: "Elon Musk's regulatory troubles have begun to melt away in Trump's second term"

"At the Department of Agriculture, for example, President Donald Trump fired the person who had been investigating the Musk company Neuralink. …

"Trump's Justice Department has dropped a case against Musk's rocket company, SpaceX, and his Labor Department has canceled a planned civil rights review of his automaker, Tesla. Another regulatory matter against SpaceX has entered settlement talks with the National Labor Relations Board.

"The moves may help Musk's companies avoid potential fines for alleged violations of federal law. At stake is more than $2 billion in potential liability, plus workplace changes that Musk could have to make if he loses those regulatory fights."

Washington Post: "U.S. pushes nations facing tariffs to approve Musk's Starlink, cables show"

"A series of internal government messages obtained by The Post reveal how U.S. embassies and the State Department have pushed nations to clear hurdles for U.S. satellite companies, often mentioning Starlink by name. …

"Starlink's international expansion could unlock multibillion-dollar revenue streams. Capturing just 1 percent of India's consumer broadband market could generate nearly $1 billion annually, with comparable upside in Latin America and Africa …

"Starlink was pushing for a license to operate in Djibouti. … Embassy staffers wrote they would help Starlink as much as they could."

CNN: "Trump staffed his Cabinet with wealthy advisers. Some stand to gain even more from recent policy shifts"

"Even as they've agreed to divest, some Cabinet members have found a loophole: giving control of certain assets to their adult children. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick handed the reins of his financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald to his 27-year-old son, while Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said he would give his interest in litigation against a vaccine maker - part of an industry he is now tasked with regulating - to his adult son."