The End of Rule of Law in America | Is the AfD Too Extreme for Democracy? | As White House Steers Justice Dept., Bondi Embraces Role of TV Messenger, and more

Qatar Plane Gift Could Awaken Trump’s Sleeping ‘Corrupt’ Problem  (Aaron Blake, Washington Post)
Americans have long had issues with Trump’s potential self-dealing. But while other issues are harder to explain, this one’s different.

Is the AfD Too Extreme for Democracy?  (Graeme Wood, The Atlantic)
Germany’s far-right party hates immigration, and some of its leaders have a disturbing tendency to say things that sound Nazi-curious.

A Plane from Qatar? C’mon, Man.  (Norman EisenVirginia Canter and Richard W. Painter, New York Times)
As lawyers responsible in recent White Houses for enforcing the rules against foreign government presents for presidents, we believe Donald Trump is transgressing them in the most brazen of ways. We’re not just talking about his apparent eagerness to accept an airplane valued at about $400 million from Qatar. His crypto entanglements are just as bad — perhaps even worse.
We were part of the efforts to curb Mr. Trump’s emoluments in his first term. Given his rampant disregard for the Constitution, it’s probably only a matter of time before another case is brought against him building upon the broad reading of the emoluments clause that we previously secured.
The American people should make their disgust known: There is no room for this kind of flagrant disregard of the Constitution in the skies above or in digital wallets down below.

The Trumps Get Richer  (Eric Lipton, New York Times)
Now that President Trump is back in office, his family is profiting from his brand: At least $2 billion has flowed to Trump companies in just the last month. The ventures include real estate, a cryptocurrency and a private club slated to open in Washington with a $500,000 membership fee. Now, Qatar may give him a new presidential airplane.
The ethical mess is obvious. Trump is both the commander in chief and a business partner of foreign governments in Serbia, the United Arab Emirates and Oman. The White House says his sons run his companies, so there’s no conflict. Legally, that’s true.
But Trump is still getting rich (or richer) from all of it. And that leaves incentives for the president to pay back his business partners with policy decisions designed to help them, which is how the law defines corruption. Today’s newsletter is a tour of the recent deals.

This Is Why Trump Is Always Talking About Corruption  (Thomas B. Edsall, New York Times)
Donald Trump, who was well on his way to becoming one of the most corrupt presidents in American history even before he said it would be “stupid” for the United States not to accept a plane worth hundreds of millions of dollars from Qatar to replace Air Force One, repeatedly attacks his adversaries in part to mask his own violations of the law and the Constitution.
Matthew Dallek, a political historian at George Washington University, writes: “Trumpis the most brazenly corrupt national politician in modern times, and his openness about it is sui generis. Trump 2.0 is emboldened on many fronts. He now feels liberated to wear his corruption on his sleeve.”