1/ I was stunned to realize that the Qatar Investment Authority was renting an empty office in Trump’s most valuable building. But I was even more surprised to see how U.S. policy changed around the time that the lease began. Here’s the timeline. vanityfair.com/news/2020/09/h…
2/ Sometime between October 2016 and March 2017: Saudi Arabia spends $270,000 at the Trump International Hotel.
3/ May 20, 2017: Trump makes first overseas trip as president, to Saudi Arabia.
4/ June 9, 2017: Back home from his trip, Trump echoes the Saudi position in a regional dispute between Qatar and other U.S. allies. “The nation of Qatar, unfortunately, has historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level.” c-span.org/video/?c467314…
5/ Sometime after February 2018: Qatar outfits a new office space on the 43rd floor of 555 California Street, Trump’s most valuable holding.
6/ April 10, 2018: Trump welcomes Qatari ruler Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to the Oval Office. Trump's message about Qatar has done a 180: “Tamim and I have been working for a number of years now—actually, even before the fact—on terrorism." c-span.org/video/?443832-…
7/ July 8, 2019: Al-Thani and other Qatari officials return to DC. Trump rolls out the red carpet. Several board members of the Qatar Investment Authority, which is now renting space inside Trump’s most valuable building, attend dinner with US leaders.
8/ July 8, 2019: Steven Roth, Trump’s business partner in building the where Qatar now has office space, is on the guest list. The venue for the party is, of all places, the Cash Room in the Treasury Department, which once held America’s gold, silver and dollar bills.
9/ July 8, 2019: Trump stands up to give a message to the Qataris at the party. “I have to say that the investments that you make in the United States,” he says, “are very much appreciated.” whitehouse.gov/briefings-stat…
10/ You can read more about this—and other leases involving foreign governments—in White House Inc., which comes out on Tuesday. penguinrandomhouse.com/books/623950/w…
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