Trump Suggests Corrupt Leaders Need More 'Cigars' (Not Jail)
According to Al-Monitor, Trump declared Netanyahu 'one of Israel's greatest wartime leaders' while dismissing corruption charges, including over $260,000 in luxury items like cigars, jewelry, and champagne, as merely 'cigars and champagne, who the hell cares about that?' This, of course, ignores that the alleged 'cigars and champagne' were given by billionaires in exchange for political favors,
transforming petty indulgences into systemic corruption that compromises public office. The mainstream outlets will dutifully report Trump's 'joke' without connecting the dots: influential figures like Trump frequently downplay the financial impropriety of allies, especially when those allies, like Netanyahu, are critical to projecting U.S. power in the Middle East. One might wonder if the U.S.
legal system would afford a similar 'who cares' attitude to a former president or senator accused of accepting luxury goods from, say, foreign defense contractors. But then again, some champagne is apparently more equal than others when it lines the pockets of those deemed 'strategic partners.'