A new report is suggesting that Qatar is trying to buy a stake in Newsmax, a conservative news outlet.
According to Politico, there have been numerous meetings in 2018 between Newsmax representatives and Qatari cabinet members, all of which have been headed by Mohammed bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who is the brother of Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The Qataris are aiming for a $90 million investment into Newsmax for political reasons.
It is not yet known if the meetings have resulted into anything substantial, although the Politico report noted that Newsmax’s coverage of Qatar has become more positive of late.
Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy, who is an ally of President Trump, denied that the talks had ever taken place.
“This is all false,” Ruddy told Politico.
If the report is accurate, it would reflect Qatar’s increasing desperation to regain standing internationally, as it has become increasingly isolated in the region thanks to its funding of terrorism and growing ties to Iran. They had previously been trying to woo over influential figures in the pro-Israel crowd, such as attorney Alan Dershowitz.
The Qatari-funded Al Jazeera reportedly spied on pro-Israel organizations in an effort to supposedly expose Jewish influence on America’s government.
