Fresh out of Barnard College with a degree in political science, Riley is a writer and reporter for GZERO. When she isn’t writing about global politics, you can find her making GZERO’s crossword puzzles, conducting research on American politics, or persisting in her lifelong quest to learn French. Riley spends her time outside of work grilling, dancing, and wearing many hats (both literally and figuratively).
The Qatari government’s gift of a $400 million plane to Donald Trump turned out to be quite the omen, as Doha welcomed the US president to town on Wednesday by announcing that it would buy $96 billion worth of Boeing jets, plus a red carpet and a brigade of camels. The deal was topped off with a $2-billion purchase for unmanned aircraft systems, a $1-billion one for counter-drone technology, and up to $38 billion in further defense investments.
The visit marks the first time a US president has visited Qatar since George Bush. It's a big moment for the Gulf state, which has been trying to boost its influence on the world stage – despite past human-rights abuses and friendliness with terrorists – by buying sports teams, hosting World Cups, and even snagging a substantial portion of the Empire State building.