Furious Karoline Leavitt slams 'frankly ridiculous' claims Trump is profiting off the presidency
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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt slammed the 'frankly ridiculous' claims that President Donald Trump is profiting off the presidency.
During Friday's press briefing, Leavitt was asked if Trump's sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric, as well as son-in-law Jared Kushner, would be traveling alongside the president to the Middle East.
'I am not tracking family members joining us at this time, but of course the First Family is welcome to come,' the press secretary answered. 'I hope they would, they are great people, great to be around.'
The president is going to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates over a three and a half day period, departing from the White House Monday.
His Trump Organization is developing luxury properties in all three Arab nations, with some deals inked as recently as last week, when son Eric, who serves as the executive vice president of the Trump Organization, made a trip to the region.
Kushner, who served in Trump's first White House, started a private equity firm after leaving the administration and reportedly rececived a $2 billion investment from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
In a follow-up question, Leavitt was asked if the president planned to meet with anyone involved in the family businesses or make site visits during the trip.
'Not to my knowledge and let me just get to the premise of your question that both have you have raised,' Leavitt responded. 'I think it's frankly ridiculous that anyone in htis room would even suggest that President Trump is doing anything for his own benefit.'
'He left a life of luxury and a life of running a very successful real estate empire for public service, not just once but twice,' Leavitt continued. 'The American public reelected him back to the White House because they trust he acrs in the best interest of our country and putting the American public first.'
Leavitt pushed that Trump has 'lost money for being president of the United States.'
The press secretary claimed that nobody has asked the same question of President Joe Biden 'a career politician who was clearly profiting off his office.'
'That is not what President Trump does and this White House holds ourselves to the highest of ethical standards,' Leavitt said.
In December 2024, weeks after Trump's reelection, the Trump Organization announced that two Trump-branded properties would be built in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh, including a Trump Tower and a golf community.
Riyadh is the first stop on the president's trip next week.
There is also a Trump property planned for the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah, which has since been unveiled as an ornate Trump Tower overlooking the Persian Gulf - which the president may rename the Gulf of Arabia.
At the time, Eric Trump also said that with business partner Dar Global, the Trump organization would have a branded project in Abu Dhabi, the capital of UAE, in the 'next year or so.'
Abu Dhabi is the third city the president will visit on the trip next week.
Then on April 29, the Trump Organization announced that the Middle East's 'first and only Trump International Hotel & Tower' would be consturcted in Dubai, the UAE's glittering business hub.
The next day, the Trump Organization announced that it had struck a deal to build a golf resort north of Qatar's capital of Doha - the second stop on Trump's trip.
The development would include Trump-branded beachside villas and an 18-hole golf course.
Eric Trump was photographed looking at a model of the property on his trip.
Prior to these announcements, the president's family had opened a Trump International Golf Club in Dubai.
When Trump became president in 2017, he retained ownership of the Trump Organization but placed control of the business into the hands of Eric and Donald Trump Jr.
He broke presidential precedent, with previous leaders divesting from their businesses or putting them in a blind trust.
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