Senate Dems Seek Hearings on UAE Role in Trump Venture

Senate Democrats want answers about a half-billion dollars that flowed from an Emirati royal's investment group into a Trump family crypto venture just days before the inauguration. In a Tuesday letter, five top Democrats pressed their GOP counterparts to hold hearings that would force current White House officials to testify under oath about "what they knew and when" regarding the $500 million stake in World Liberty Financial, reports the Wall Street Journal. The venture was co-founded by Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. Documents reviewed by the Journal show a group led by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed al Nahyan bought 49% of the firm, sending at least $187 million to Trump family entities and $31 million to Witkoff-linked entities.

Within months, the administration moved on policies benefiting the UAE, including a framework to give the country access to advanced AI chips. Their report warns of a potential "pay to play" setup that could compromise US security. Trump's team denies any conflict, saying that the president is walled off from his businesses and that policy decisions were made in the national interest. Any Senate hearings would require Republicans to sign on, and none have publicly criticized the deal. The Democrats who signed the letter are Sens. Richard Blumenthal, Elizabeth Warren, Gary Peters, Dick Durbin, and Ron Wyden.