'Wildly illegal': Trump slammed for Boeing 747-8 jet 'gift' from Qatar royal family; US president defends present
The gift, potentially the most expensive received by the US government, was defended by Trump as a temporary replacement for the ageing Air Force One, sparking debate.
US President Donald Trump is facing a fresh wave of scrutiny after reports of his plans to accept as a "gift" an expensive Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from Qatar emerged.
ABC News and The New York Times first reported that Qatar's royal family was offering the aircraft as a "gift", potentially making it the most expensive ever received by the US government.
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Donald Trump defends 'gift'
Amid concerns of a violation of the US Constitution – its emoluments' clause prohibits government officials from accepting gifts "from any King, Prince or foreign State" – and concerns about foreign influence, Trump defended the move on social media.
On Sunday, posting on his social media platform Truth Social, the 78-year-old US president claimed that the Boeing jet was only a temporary "gift" that would replace the existing four-decade-old model. However, he also insisted that the reports describing it as a gift were "inaccurate".
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He claimed that the gifting process was unfolding as a "transparent transaction" but did not specify if Qatar was getting/expecting something in return.
Trump also insisted the jet would temporarily be handed to the Department of Defense before being transferred to his presidential library after he leaves office.
Slamming Democrats for what he called the "Crooked" Democrats' push for an unnecessarily expensive new Air Force One, he said, "they insist we pay, TOP DOLLAR, for the plane."
"Anybody can do that! The Dems are World Class Losers!!!," he added.
Qatar also moved to quickly distance itself from the perception of a political gift. Ali Al-Ansari, the country’s media attaché in Washington, said the "possible transfer of an aircraft for temporary use as Air Force One is currently under consideration between Qatar's Ministry of Defense and the US Department of Defense".
What critics are saying
Lawmakers across the political spectrum are raising red flags about the incoming "gift".
Labelling it "wildly illegal," Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT). "This isn’t a good idea even if the plane was being donated to the US government. But Trump GETS TO KEEP THE PLANE??? It’s simply a cash payment to Trump in exchange for favours. Just wildly illegal," he said.
Representative Kelly Morrison (D-MN) called the arrangement "corruption in plain sight," while even Trump ally Laura Loomer blasted the move, saying, "We cannot accept a $400 million 'gift' from jihadists in suits," and said that "The Qataris fund the same Iranian proxies in Hamas and Hezbollah who have murdered US Service Members."
