Gulf Monarchies Brace for Democratic Probes of Trump Family Deals
Gulf states are bracing for Democratic congressional inquiries into alleged dealings involving President Trump, his family and administration, The Washington Post reported.
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Democrats who took both chambers of Congress in the Nov. 3 midterm elections have already warned Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar that investigations are coming, The Washington Post reported on Nov. 14. Officials in Washington and diplomats in the Gulf, speaking anonymously, said lawmakers have pledged to follow the money.
Inquiries Target Deals and a Jet
The inquiries are expected to focus on real estate deals, financial investments and other transactions, including Qatar’s gift of a $400 million luxury jet.
Democratic lawmakers have reportedly warned that a failure to comply could jeopardize ties with Washington. The embassies of Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar declined to comment.
Persian Gulf governments have defended their dealings as aboveboard and rejected allegations that they were trying to curry favor with the administration.
UAE Crypto Stake and Saudi Projects
Just months before the UAE was granted access to advanced U.S. microchips, an entity connected to Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed al-Nahyan bought a $500 million stake in World Liberty Financial, a crypto firm founded by Trump’s three sons and Zach Witkoff, the son of envoy Steve Witkoff, the Post reported.
Senate Democrats had already sought hearings on that investment. Sen. Elizabeth Warren called it “corruption, plain and simple.”
Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund invested $2 billion in 2021 with Jared Kushner’s firm, Affinity Partners. Since Trump returned to office, his family has expanded projects in the kingdom, including a Trump tower and a $1 billion plaza in Jeddah, and two luxury communities in Riyadh.
A July agreement giving Riyadh a path to U.S. nuclear technology is also expected to face scrutiny. After opposition in Congress, Trump later appeared to condition the deal on Saudi normalization with Israel.
Congress Has Levers Beyond Subpoenas
Democratic subpoena power will not reach foreign governments. Aides briefed on the plans said lawmakers could instead use arms sales and security assistance, and would be “less likely to want to be full partners with a country that we believe is involved in corrupting our system.”
Diplomats said the three governments are not expected to hand over private communications, in part because the material would be politically “embarrassing.”
Sen. Chris Murphy, who visited the Gulf in October, said he raised corruption concerns with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. “Our foreign policy has been corrupted,” he said after returning.
The potential strain comes as the Iran war enters its ninth month, the Post reported. Former NSC official Allison Minor said Gulf countries “have an uphill battle with Democrats,” including over Sudan and Yemen.
House Democrats had already outlined a broad investigation agenda before the midterms.
Kamer Kurunç
Kamer Kurunç is the Team Leader of Clash Report and has led the outlet for four years. He oversees its breaking world news coverage, from the Middle East and the Russia-Ukraine war to defense and global politics. His focus is fast, verified, source-based reporting. Follow him on X at @kamerknc.
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