"Thanks for the $400 Million Jet"

Here's why the Constitution Doesn't Actually Stop Bribes

Welcome back to our crash course in the U.S. Constitution — everything you need to know to better debate those aunts and uncles of yours on Facebook, without the law school price or the weird professors. Each issue tackles a different big idea that’s shaped American life: free speech, due process, equal protection, search and seizure, etc.. Expect real-world examples, understandable explanations, and the occasional lawyer joke (now you’ve been warned, so you can’t be upset). Whether you're a news junkie, a student, or just someone who wants to finally understand what “strict scrutiny” actually means, you’ll leave each issue a little smarter — and way more equipped to fight mistruths. The law was meant to be understood by the people. This series is here to prove it.

Today’s issue: ‘Thanks for $400 Million Jet’: Here’s Why the Constitution Doesn’t Actually Stop Bribes

✅ NOTE: Today’s issue is an application lesson. It explores the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution as it applies to the recent “gifting” of a $400 million jet to the president. Is it a bribe? Is it impeachable? What the heck happens now?

Previous issue: "We Might Suspend Habeas Corpus”: When Constitutional Law Becomes a Toddler Tantrum (available here)

Next issue: Utah Invades Idaho…What Happens Next?

---

The School Pickup Analogy

Let’s rewind to that scenario from a few weeks ago:

Your kid hops in the car after school, beaming: “Dad, my teacher gave me a pair of Jordan’s. She said I was really polite during math.”

Nope. No, sir. That’s not a compliment for being polite. That’s a setup. And it’s concerning. You don’t take expensive gifts from a teacher, no matter how cool your long division was.

Now imagine it’s the President of the United States, and the gift is a $400 million luxury jet from Qatar. The same rule should apply, yeah?

However, it’s not that simple. In fact, it’s arguably more appropriately labeled as, “frustratingly simple.” Meaning, the Constitution appears pretty clear…so why is nothing being done?

And why do I think nothing will be done?

Today, in Constitutional Law 101: The Emoluments Clause.

---

Part 1: Wait—Is That Really in the Constitution?