Donald Trump defends plans to accept a $400M luxury jet from Qatar as a gift to the U.S., sparking legal and ethical backlash over foreign influence and presidential graft.
Former President Donald Trump dubbed Qatar's royal family's $400 million luxury plane offer a "very public and transparent transaction, " despite its being unlawful and dishonest.
Air Force One would be replaced with a Boeing 747 8 "flying palace" during Trump's second term. The jet would be delivered to Trump's presidential library in January 2029.
Legal experts and politicians think the gift would violate the Foreign Emoluments Clause, which prohibits presidents from accepting foreign gifts without congressional approval.
On Sunday, Trump announced on Truth Social that the Defense Department received a free 747 to replace Air Force One temporarily. He chastised Democrats for seeking high flight prices.
Qatar said talks were ongoing and denied that Trump would buy the plane in the Gulf.
According to ABC News, Trump observed the plane before it took off at Palm Beach International Airport earlier this year. According to reports, the $400 million jet boasts world-class equipment for leaders.
Accepting the suggestion would allow the Air Force to modify the 747 for presidential trip security. The government said individuals would fund the adjustments.
Trump's lawyers, Pam Bondi and David Warrington, approved the purchase. They claimed the sale was legitimate because the government, not Trump, received the jet without formal action.
Because of that legal stance, protests continue.
Senator Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) opposed the Qatar-funded Air Force One gift because it represents "America First". Not bribed, extra-roomy foreign power.
In response to an X tweet, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md..) stated that Trump seeks congressional approval to withdraw $300 million from Qatar. Congress must authorize foreign powers to give presents "of any description whatever." A gift you have used for four years and stored is still a rip-off.
People criticized the Trumps' new Qatar business links. A few days before the plane announcement, the Trump Organization negotiated a $5.5 billion deal with a Qatari golf property, raising concerns about a conflict of interest.
Qatar gave Trump a luxury airplane today. Democratic researcher Matt McDermott tweeted, "Surely a coincidence."
National security specialists worry about foreign surveillance problems. CNN expert and Harvard professor Juliette Kayyem said security and monitoring are as terrifying as the swindle.
Trump supporters worry, too. Conservative media questioned whether other nations should see leaders' vacation spots.
Maggie Haberman of the New York Times says the jet may be "the most expensive gift from a foreign government in U.S. history" and "raises questions from legal experts."
The Gulf leaders will meet Trump secretly in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. The Qatari government denies giving the jet as a gift during the trip, but the timing raises questions.
