Meet the Gulf ‘Spy Sheikh’ Backing Trump’s Insanely Corrupt Crypto Bank

On this day in 2025, the Trump administration carried out its first known strike on a boat in the Caribbean, claiming to be target drug runners. Eleven people were killed. A year on, the death toll from such extra-legal actions stands at 223 from 67 strikes.

Good morning! Andrew here as we recap another hellishly busy and mostly hard-to-love news day. But first: Are you up to date on what must be one the most brazen acts of corruption in U.S. history?

In today’s ‘First Draft,’ the UAE’s “spy sheikh” and his pals own half of the Trump family’s bank, far-right influencer Milo Yiannopoulos thinks ICE should stick to brutalizing other people, and progressive Senator Ed Markey trounces Rep. Seth Moulton in Massachusetts

Today is also another day on which ‘First Draft’ is published without a paywall, so new readers can see what Zeteo brings to the table: all the reporting and opinion you need, on the political subjects that matter. Upgrade to paid now!

Let’s get to it.

With the daily onrush of news about Donald Trump’s titanic corruption, fascism, petty grievances, and embarrassing misuse of taxpayer dollars, it can be easy to lose sight of his individual acts of graft – even when they are world-historic.