President Donald Trump on Thursday held up a Monopoly-esque “gold card,” with his face printed on it, that could allow foreigners to purchase a pathway to citizenship for millions of dollars.
“For $5 million, this could be yours. That was the first of the cards,” the president, holding up a copy of a gold card, said as he spoke to reporters aboard Air Force One. “It’s the gold card. The Trump card.”
Reporter: “Who’s the first buyer?”
Trump: “Me.”
Reporter: “Who’s the second?”
Trump: “I don’t know. … It’ll be out in about less than two weeks, probably.”
“Anybody want to buy one?” Trump asked the reporters, who met him with silence.
Trump first announced the gold card concept in February, saying it would give people “green card privileges” and a “route to citizenship.”
“Wealthy people will be coming into our country by buying this card,” he said at the time, despite concerns that Russian oligarchs could buy them to obtain American citizenship.
The card is meant to replace the EB-5 immigrant investor visa program, which allows foreigners to apply for visas after they invest in American projects that create jobs. Congress created that program in 1992, for immigrants who invest at least $1,050,000, or $800,000 in economically distressed zones, to create American jobs.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said anyone who buys a gold card would “go through vetting” in order to “make sure they’re wonderful world-class global citizens,” although it is not clear what the specific vetting would be.
