Donald Trump Jr.’s Trip to Middle East Raises Eyebrows

Donald Trump Jr.’s brief trip to the Middle East has sparked criticism on social media, with users voicing their disapproval and speculating about the funding behind the Trump project in Oman.

The former president’s son posted on his TikTok account that he took a “day trip” to the region to check in on the family company’s projects in the Gulf countries of the United Arab Emirates and Oman. He, alongside Eric Trump, are executive vice presidents of the Trump Organization.

The development of a Trump International Hotel in Oman’s capital, Muscat, is expected to be completed in December 2028. It’s a multibillion-dollar project that is a partnership between Trump, the government of Oman, and Dar Al Arkan, a Saudi real estate firm.

Trump Jr. posted three TikToks of his trip, which featured videos on a private jet, flying first class internationally, and at the “Trump Oman” development site. Users on X, formerly Twitter, have posted the videos with pointed comments toward the potential ethics concern of the project.

Newsweek reached out to the Trump organization for comment via email on Thursday.

Boston Brian, a contributor to the left-leaning MediasTouch outlet who has over 15,000 followers, reposted Trump Jr.’s TikTok at the Oman development site on X, formerly Twitter, with the caption: “Trump Oman’ Yea, I see no conflict of interest here…a known con man, convicted felon, adjudicated rapist and Republican candidate for President of the United States, having hotels built and financed by foreign governments in the Middle East. What could possibly go wrong”.

Late last month, a New York City jury convicted Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican 2024 presidential nominee, on 34 charges of falsifying business records in connection with a hush money payment that Michael Cohen, then Trump’s attorney, made to former adult film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election, allegedly to keep quiet about an affair she said they had. The case was brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

Donald Trump has maintained his innocence and says the case is politically motivated. He is the first former president convicted of felony crimes and has already announced plans to appeal the verdict.

Another user, @CommonSense4444, who often posts critically of Trump and Make American Great Again (MAGA), wrote, “Maybe it’s just me, but if Trump’s reelected Trump Oman is a huge conflict of interest, if not a national security risk.”

Claire S., whose social media biography says to “vote Blue” said, “I wonder how many top classified government secrets Trump xeroxed to get this deal.”

User @IvanaStairCam, who boasts over 80,000 followers, replied to the video of Trump Jr. at the Oman development site, saying, “Is Donald Trump Jr revealing what the Trump family is getting in return for stolen classified documents?”

The Trump family has previously come under scrutiny for international dealings. In 2021, Ivanka Trump’s husband’s, Jared Kushner, firm, Affinity Partners, received a $2 billion investment from a fund led by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, six months after Kushner left the White House.

In January 2024, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee issued a report titled, “White House for Sale: How Princes, Prime Ministers, and Premiers Paid Off President Trump.” The report alleged Trump “repeatedly and willfully” violated the U.S. Constitution’s foreign emoluments clause, providing room ledgers as evidence. The clause prohibits federal officials, including the president, from accepting money or gifts from foreign governments without permission from Congress.

The report alleged that Trump received at least $7.8 million from at least 20 foreign countries during his presidency. Eric Trump had dismissed the report, posting on X, “What a joke! All foreign government profits, for stays at our hotels and other properties while my father was in office, were voluntarily donated to the United States Treasury.”

Replying to the video of Trump Jr. explaining his experience in Emirates First Class, Chidi Nwatu, who has over 30,000 followers commented, “This is just another example of the Trump family being so out of touch with everyday Americans.”