Don Trump and the world of slimy favours

I wouldn’t be the first person to point out how Trump runs his administration like a Mafia crime family: the importance of personal loyalty above all else; open threats against political opponents; the purely transactional nature of everything, to name a few of his tendencies.

It is fascinating to see how Trump’s team is trying to defend accepting a super luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from the royal family of Qatar. The specifics of the gift are that it will be available for Trump to use...