Former President Donald Trump’s new ride should really be a luxurious Boeing 747 from the Qatar royal family. This ruling decision has sparked enormous debate between legislators and legal scholars. The plane’s value is about $400 million. If approved, it would be the largest foreign gift ever accepted by the U.S. government. Trump’s laying the groundwork to use this Boeing 747 as Air Force One during his second term.
Even with the expected gift, it still won’t be given to Trump on his planned visit to Qatar within the next few weeks. The aircraft would be donated by the foundation, upon purchase, to the Trump presidential library foundation. This will unfortunately take place only after he finishes his second term in office. This structure meets with fierce criticism concerning its legality and missionary embeddedness. Even some of Trump’s allies have shared the alarm expressed by Democratic lawmakers.
U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders has been sharply critical. He goes on to describe the acceptance of the gift as “farcically corrupt” and “blatantly unconstitutional.” He is far from alone in his concerns. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer has added his voice to the opposition, claiming that taking such a large donation would invite “foreign influence” into American government.
A top official from the Justice Department defended the new policy against those criticisms. They disclosed that the Office of Legal Counsel had drafted an OLC memo expressly approving the legality of the Department of Defense accepting the plane. This memo was subsequently approved by Attorney General Pam Bondi, bringing some level of comfort about the legal standing of the transaction.
Trump celebrated Qatar’s pledge as a “good sign” and “great gesture.” He stressed that this change would significantly benefit the work of the U.S. Defense Department.
“I think that was a very nice gesture if Qatar can contribute to the defense department,” – Donald Trump
Additionally, as Trump pointed out, it was unusual for the plane to be decorated differently than other jets owned by other Arab nations.
“You look at some of the Arab countries and the planes they have parked alongside the United States of America plane, it’s like from a different planet,” – Donald Trump
Qatar’s Media Attaché Ali Al-Ansari provided an important clarification. His clarification came after multiple reports suggested the jet would be given away during Trump’s visit, which he said was wrong.
“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, but the matter remains under review by the respective legal departments, and no decision has been made,” – Ali Al-Ansari
Art critics across the country are sounding the alarm about accepting such an instrumental gift from a foreign, authoritarian government. Primarily, they fear the Pandora’s Box its passage could open. Sanders underscored the need for Congress to step in really to stop what he called “over-the-top kleptocracy.”
“Not only is this farcically corrupt, it is blatantly unconstitutional. Congress must not allow this over-the-top kleptocracy to proceed,” – Bernie Sanders
Trump defended the Defense Department getting a 747 as a “gift” to replace its aging Air Force One. He argued that this should not elicit the same anger from Democrats.
“So the fact that the Defense Department is getting a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE, of a 747 aircraft to replace the 40-year-old Air Force One, temporarily, in a very public and transparent transaction, so bothers the Crooked Democrats that they insist we pay, TOP DOLLAR, for the plane,” – Donald Trump
Schumer was rightly skeptical about the optics of that occurring.
“Nothing says ‘America First’ like Air Force One, brought to you by Qatar. It’s not just bribery, it’s premium foreign influence with extra legroom,” – Chuck Schumer
Trump’s willingness to accept such a luxurious present ignites an intense political firestorm. It’s a big deal because it raises important questions about transparency and ethics in government dealings with foreign entities. When introducing the bill, Representative Brendan Boyle was clear about his intent to guard against any appearance of corruption.
“I know that many people at this point might be numb to this, but we can never allow ourselves to get numb. And even if polls show it’s not the issue that’s top of mind for most voters, I’m sorry but right and wrong still matter,” – Rep. Brendan Boyle
Boyle stressed the importance of addressing this problem through judicial means. He further advocated for increasing public knowledge of possible unethical conduct.
“We have to pursue this legally in the courts, we have to raise public awareness. It is absolutely remarkable, the record levels of corruption that we’re seeing,” – Rep. Brendan Boyle
Debates over Qatar’s $150 million, unprecedented gift have only begun to take shape. It remains to be seen if prevailing political dynamics will deter Trump from accepting the gift of the luxury 747 and what accepting it would mean for U.S.-Qatar relations.