The Constitution forbids any federal officeholder from accepting, without the consent of Congress, "any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever" from a foreign king, prince, or state. The founders wrote that rule because they feared a foreign government could buy an American official's loyalty with gifts.
Gifts from Kings and Sheikhs examines what has become of that protection across Donald Trump's two presidencies: payments from foreign governments to Trump hotels and buildings during the first term; the Boeing 747 Qatar handed over to serve as Air Force One; Trump-branded towers, golf, and licensing deals in the Persian Gulf; the purchase of nearly half the family's cryptocurrency company by a member of Abu Dhabi's royal family; the coins the family launched days before the 2025 inauguration; and the Gulf sovereign-fund billions managed by Jared Kushner.
No court has issued a final ruling on whether these arrangements violate the Constitution, and this book does not claim that a crime was committed. It assembles the public record — who paid, how much, and through what structure — so readers can judge for themselves whether the founders' safeguard still works. Includes a document guide and full source notes.
Book 2 of Putting America Last: A World Without Friends.