World

Group allied with former US President Trump sets records in early PAC spending

A group allied with Donald Trump’s bid for the 2024 Republican nomination is setting records for outside political spending early in a US presidential campaign as he looks to box out his nearest rival Ron DeSantis before the Florida governor even launches a campaign.

The Trump-aligned Make America Great Again Inc group, known as MAGA Inc, spent more than $7 million in the first four months of 2023 on television ads attacking DeSantis, disclosures to the Federal Election Commission show.

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That is far more than the roughly $4 million that all outside political groups, known as super PACs, spent in support of presidential candidates at the same point in the 2020 election cycle and vastly higher than the less-than-$1 million spent at the same point of the 2016 cycle.

The heavy spending shows the threat the former president’s camp sees in DeSantis, who is expected to launch a run for the Republican nomination in the coming weeks. A Reuters/Ipsos poll last week showed Trump leading DeSantis 50 percent – 24 percent among Republican registered voters.

“They’re trying to crush anybody who gets some momentum,” said Mike DuHaime, a Republican strategist.

So far this year, super PACs have spent more than $12 million, about three times as much as four years earlier, according to public disclosures.

The outlays suggest an aggressive cycle ahead for spending by super PACs, who helped drive about $1 billion in independent spending in the 2020 presidential contest. By comparison, the campaigns of Trump and Democratic President Joe Biden spent about $2 billion combined.

Transfers questioned

Registered as a super PAC, MAGA Inc is allowed to raise and spend unlimited sums supporting candidates as long as it doesn't coordinate spending with their campaigns.

Some campaign finance law experts accuse the former president of breaking laws by funding MAGA Inc's spending with at least $60 million he raised for a separate group called Save America that by law is barred from financing any Trump campaign.

“Trump’s camp has a clear motivation to spend early and spend quite a bit,” said Saurav Ghosh of the Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan watchdog. “I don’t think they would be able to do that without the illegal transfers.”

The watchdog in November filed a legal complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) arguing that MAGA Inc was not independent of Trump’s campaign after taking money from Save America, the fundraising group Trump created after losing the 2020 presidential election.

The FEC has not yet acted on the case, and with its leadership split evenly between Republicans and Democrats, experts consider it unlikely to do so.

Steven Cheung, a Trump campaign spokesman, dismissed the Campaign Legal Center’s arguments, calling the organization “a Democrat group.”

MAGA Inc spokesman Alex Pfeiffer declined to answer questions about the group’s independence from Trump, saying it was not a party in the FEC complaint.

Save America gave MAGA Inc $60 million ahead of the November midterm elections. But some $40 million of Save America's transfers were made after the super PAC had largely wrapped up its midterm spending, and MAGA Inc reported having $54 million in cash as of December 31.

It has not yet disclosed details on its income or cash balance this year.

MAGA Inc’s commercials hammer DeSantis for votes he cast a decade ago as a US representative in favor of reducing spending on Social Security pensions and Medicare health insurance for the elderly, and poked fun at him over an unsubstantiated rumor he ate chocolate pudding with his fingers.

“Voters need to understand Ron DeSantis’ past support for cutting Social Security and Medicare benefits,” Pfeiffer said.

Asked about the commercial's latter attack, DeSantis said in a television interview, “Is that really the best you’ve got? OK, bring it on!”

DeSantis has a roughly $85 million political war chest, currently held in a state account that federal law would block him from spending on a presidential run. Campaign finance law specialists say they fear DeSantis could emulate Trump by transferring some of those funds into a federally registered super PAC to support his expected presidential campaign.

“It’s deeply concerning when we have these anti-coordination rules on the books and, election after election, people walk right up to that line and walk over that line,” said Michael Beckel, research director at Issue One, a nonpartisan campaign finance reform advocacy group.

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World

Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi meets with CEOs of leading Norwegian companies

H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, has met with a group of CEOs from leading Norwegian companies, as part of their participation in the UAE-Norway Investment Forum, held alongside his official visit to the Kingdom of Norway.

During the meeting, H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed underscored the UAE leadership’s commitment to strengthening economic cooperation with its international partners.

He highlighted that investment in innovation and knowledge is a cornerstone for achieving sustainable development, noting that enhancing collaboration with Norwegian companies across key sectors will open new avenues for mutual economic growth between the two countries.

The UAE-Norway Investment Forum, taking place in Oslo, aimed to highlight available investment opportunities and strengthen trade relations between the UAE and Norway, fostering shared interests and supporting innovation and knowledge-based economic visions.

-wam

World

At the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS inaugurates 10th global office, releases four books

As part of its Asian research tour, partnership with Aletihad News Center, and
primary sponsorship of the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS
Research & Advisory inaugurated its office in Jakarta, marking its 10th location
worldwide. It also released four books in Indonesian.
The inauguration event was attended by ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, and
Jordan to Indonesia, chairpersons of the UAE and Indonesian Publishers’
Associations, the Director of TRENDS’ Jakarta office, and a group of researchers
and academics.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali, CEO of TRENDS
Research & Advisory, stated that TRENDS’ international offices—set to reach 15
by the end of 2024—aim to enhance the Center’s research efforts and deepen its
role in disseminating knowledge, thus serving as a global knowledge bridge.
He emphasized, “At TRENDS, we believe in the importance of cooperation
between think tanks and prioritize this endeavor. We believe the TRENDS office in
Jakarta will enhance the exchange of knowledge and ideas between think tanks in
Asia and the Middle East, opening new horizons for collaboration in various
fields.”

Four books in Indonesian
As part of the Jakarta office’s inaugural activities, four books were released in
Indonesian, including the 11th and 12th books of the Muslim Brotherhood
Encyclopedia and Global Trends in AI and Automation and the Future of
Competition between Man and Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision.

Hostility to Arab states
The 11th book of the Muslim Brotherhood Encyclopedia, The Concept of the State
According to the Muslim Brotherhood, highlights its hostile stance toward Arab
states since its inception. The group views them as an obstacle to its ascent to
power. It opposed the modern principles upon which these states were built,
considering them incompatible with the group’s unique interpretation of Islam,
which it claimed to embody exclusively.

Exclusion of nonconformists
The 12th book, The Muslim Brotherhood: Rejection of Tolerance and Exclusion of
Nonconformists, examines the Muslim Brotherhood’s stance towards
nonconformists, individuals, and entities. The book reveals the group’s binary view
of the world, categorizing others as allies or adversaries. It ties these relationships
to the Brotherhood’s internal power struggles and self-serving interests.

Global Trends in AI
The third book, Global Trends in AI, explores significant developments in AI and
its impact on various aspects of life, including the economy, society, and
governance. It also offers a comprehensive analysis of technological advancements
in AI, its applications across sectors, the ethical and social challenges it presents,
and its future trajectory.

Automation

The fourth book, Automation and the Future of Competition between Man and
Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision, addresses the growing challenges
faced by the human workforce in the face of widespread automation and AI
applications. The book concludes that while automation presents a significant
challenge to the labor market, it simultaneously creates new opportunities. It
emphasizes the importance of preparing for this shift through skills development,
continuous education, and adopting economic and social policies that support the
workforce.

Prominent pavilion and active presence
The TRENDS’ pavilion at the Indonesia International Book Fair has attracted
numerous visitors, including academic researchers and officials, such as the
ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, and Turkey. Additionally,
chairpersons of Arab and Indonesian publishers’ associations, authors, publishers,
and students visited the pavilion. All were impressed with and praised TRENDS’ diverse, valuable publications. They also commended TRENDS’ active
international presence and ability to address global developments with rigorous
analytical research.
Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali honored the esteemed guests, including
ambassadors of the UAE and Bahrain to Indonesia, Wedha Startesti Yudha,
Chairperson of the Indonesia International Book Fair Committee, Arys Hilman
Nugraha, Chairman of the Indonesian Publishers Association, and others,
presenting them with TRENDS’ publications and commemorative shields.
Additionally, he awarded TRENDS’ Research Medal to Ni Made Ayu Martini
Indonesian Deputy Minister of Marketing, Tourism and Creative Economy
It is worth noting that during its current Asian research tour, TRENDS announced
the launch of the TRENDS Research Medal, awarded to individuals who make
significant contributions to the development of scientific research and promote collaboration with TRENDS in strengthening a culture of research across various fields.

World

US determined to prevent full-scale war in Middle East, Joe Biden tells UNGA79

US President Joe Biden highlighted the US Administration’s determination to prevent a wider war that engulfs the entire Middle East region, noting that a diplomatic solution “remains the only path to lasting security to allow the residents from both countries to return to their homes on the border safely”.

In remarks he made today before the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79), the US President said, “Full-scale war is not in anyone’s interest,” adding that a diplomatic solution is still possible.

He also touched on “the rise of violence against innocent Palestinians on the West Bank”, and the need to “set the conditions for a better future”, which he said featured “a two-state solution, where the world — where Israel enjoys security and peace and full recognition and normalised relations with all its neighbours, where Palestinians live in security, dignity, and self-determination in a state of their own”.

President Biden underscored the ceasefire and hostage deal put forth by Qatar and Egypt, which the UN Security Council endorsed. He said, “Now is the time for the parties to finalise its terms, bring the hostages home,” adding that this would help ease the suffering in Gaza, and end the war.

-WAM