MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow Hits Trump Over Hot Mic Moment in Scathing Corruption Rant
MSNBC host Rachel Maddow slammed President Donald Trump’s hot mic moment with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto as part of a scathing commentary alleging corruption.
The president was caught on a hot mic in Egypt Monday apparently arranging a phone call between President Subianto and his son Eric Trump — who also leads Trump’s businesses as EVP of The Trump Organization:
“Can I meet Eric?” Subianto reportedly asked Trump.
“I’ll have Eric call. Should I do that? He’s such a good boy. I’ll have Eric call.”
On Monday night’s edition of MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show, the host connected several of Trump’s remarks on his Middle East swing with heavy suggestions of corruption, including that hot mic moment:
MADDOW: Today, at that same event in Egypt, President Trump was caught on a hot mic talking to the president of Indonesia, saying something about how he was going to set up a meeting for the president of Indonesia with Eric, with Eric Trump, his son, the blond one who manages the Trump family business. Eric Trump has no job in the U.S. government. There is no reason why an American president should be arranging meetings for one of his family members with the head of state of another country, particularly when he’s at an international meeting on official presidential business.
That said, that appeared to be what he did today on this, in this hot mic moment at this event. Why Eric Trump? I don’t know. But hey, look, just last week, Eric Trump was promoting the Trump family’s brand new golf course deal in Indonesia, calling it a stunning golf destination.
And now the president, in his official capacity, presumably is hooking up his son, who is running the family business with the president of Indonesia, the country that is hosting this new Trump family boondoggle in that country.
And that is not to be confused with the Trump family boondoggle in Qatar, where the Trump family has a new golf course and tower and luxury apartments or something or other. The nation of Qatar, Trump and his first term said they were a funder of terrorism at a very high level. But then Qatar did this deal for this new Trump luxury development in their country.
And then Qatar gifted Trump a $400 million luxury jet, which he plans to refit at taxpayer expense for his own use as president and then not give to the next president. He plans to then keep it for his presidential library after he leaves office. And now, Trump has announced that if Qatar is attacked, the United States will respond as if we have been attacked, which means he’s basically giving them fake NATO membership on his own say so.
And then this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETE HEGSETH, DEFENSE SECRETARY: I’m also proud that today, we’re announcing or signing a letter of acceptance to build a Qatari Emiri air force facility at the Mountain Home Air Base in Idaho. The location will be — host a contingent of Qatari F-15s.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MADDOW: The response to that announcement from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was roughly say, what now? We’re doing what in Idaho? Who has an air force base in Idaho now? Whereupon the former “Fox & Friends” weekend co-host, now, Trump defense secretary had to issue what he called a, quote, important clarification.
It’s just them getting to use our air force base in Idaho. We’re not giving them their own in Idaho. Did it sound like that when I said it like that? That’s so not what I meant, you guys. Important clarification.
But Trump is keeping Qatar’s plane, and the Trump family is building their big golf and tower thingy in Qatar and presumably whatever else they want, because that’s the way the presidency works now under Donald Trump. You put money in his pocket, you give money to his family, and he hooks you up with basically whatever you want out of the pockets of the American people, from the American treasury, literally from the U.S. Treasury.
Watch above via MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show.
