Trump's scheme an unlikely unifier as even MAGA joins Bernie Sanders in opposition: column

President Donald Trump's grift has gotten so big, he's actually selling off access to the United States itself, columnist Brian Karem claimed in a new column for Salon.

Karem quoted a former Trump official saying, "If you think Trump is holding a yard sale, I would remind everyone that the United States is the yard that is for sale and everything, including security secrets, defensive initiatives, private data, and secrets most people don’t know about are for sale. And no one in this administration is going to call him out," the official added. "The new Trump regime is becoming increasingly insulated while his activities grow more outrageous. Everything he does is pay to play.”

Enter the $400 million luxury Qatari airliner "gifted" to the Defense Department, but which Trump will get for his own use.

"You’d think someone would tell [the Qataris] that Trump’s price tag is a lot less than $400 million," Karem quipped. "Hell, Elon Musk, the immigrant who criticizes other immigrants, bought Trump for about half that much."

EXCLUSIVE: Breastfeeding mom of US citizen sues Kristi Noem after being grabbed by ICE

Meanwhile, White House press secretary Karoline Levitt scolded reporters for even suggesting that “President Trump is doing anything for his own benefit."

And now, Karem wrote, Trump is leveraging the Middle East "to pad his own pocket."

In addition to plans for an 80-story Trump Tower in Dubai, Karem wrote that Trump's business interests include a partnership with real estate company Qatari Diar, which happens to be backed by the sovereign wealth fund in Qatar. The resulting project: a luxury golf resort with the Qatari royal family, which has ties to terrorists, including Hamas.

"Wonder why Trump got the 747?" Karem asked. "Come on."

Karem wrote that even MAGA faithful such as Laura Loomer, Mark Levin and Ben Shapiro have joined forces with progressives like Bernie Sanders and James Carville in coming down hard on Trump for accepting the audacious gift.

"Perhaps Donald Trump is right: He’s bringing unity to the United States," Karem wrote. "At least on this issue, we’re united against Trump."

Read the Salon article here.