Donald Trump the candidate promised peace, vowing to end wars in Gaza and Ukraine on his first day in office. But as president, he has authorised bombings in Yemen and Iran, threatened war with Venezuela, and demanded concessions from Ukraine that have alarmed European allies. Critics argue that his approach fuses business and diplomacy in ways that risk stability and democracy.
Supporters point to the renewal of the Gaza ceasefire in October and peace initiatives elsewhere as evidence of Trump’s outsider success. However, Mohamad Bazzi, director of the Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies, warns that these truces mask a darker reality: the Trump family has been profiting from the presidency through deals with international players seeking to curry favour.
Unlike previous presidents who placed businesses in blind trusts, Trump has kept control of the Trump Organization, which has struck licensing deals worth billions with companies in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE. Recent disclosures show Dar Al Arkan paid the Trump Organization $21.9m in 2024 for projects in Dubai and Oman.
Bazzi notes that the Trump family also launched a cryptocurrency venture days before the inauguration. “It’s difficult to keep up with all the ways that Trump and his family have been profiting from the presidency,” he says, arguing that the fusion of business and diplomacy undermines international law and sovereignty.
