Donald Trump wants to take a $400 million dollar luxury jet from the royal family of Qatar. Yet this seemingly innocuous move has drawn serious political fire from senior Democrats. The former president’s toog–toof-running boing 747-8—see img2—if he ever gets reelected and reinstalled by hs henchmen. After he leaves the presidency, he’s hoping to exhibit it in his presidential library. As Trump tours the Middle East, including Qatar, his comments and actions raise questions about conflicts of interest and national security.
On Monday, Trump praised Qatar’s offer, calling it a “great gesture” and emphasized, “I would never be one to turn down that kind of offer.” His remarks came as he confirmed the transfer of the plane on social media, describing the transaction as being conducted “in a very public and transparent transaction.” The U.S. military will modify the 13-year-old airframes for presidential use. Later it will find a home in one Trump’s presidential library.
This proposal has resulted in such immediate outcry that even four Democratic senators on the foreign relations committee have come out to condemn it. Cory Booker from New Jersey, Brian Schatz from Hawaii, Chris Coons from Delaware, and Chris Murphy from Connecticut issued a joint statement expressing their concerns. On the jet, they characterized the purchase as a flagrant conflict of interest. They were careful to warn that it represents an existential danger to our national security.
“Air Force One is more than just a plane – it’s a symbol of the presidency and of the United States itself. No one should use public service for personal gain through foreign gifts.” – Cory Booker, Brian Schatz, Chris Coons, and Chris Murphy
The senators plan to seek a vote on the Senate floor later this week to formally adopt this as an amendment. But beyond these concerns, Trump’s plan has raised outside experts’ hackles because of his unprecedented connection to foreign investments. A growth investment firm based in Abu Dhabi recently led a $2 billion round of investment into a stablecoin venture. This undertaking was started by Trump’s World Liberty Financial, which has connections to the crypto exchange Binance.
Chris Murphy further criticized the arrangement, stating, “UAE’s investment in Trump crypto and Qatar’s gifting of a plane is nuclear grade graft.” This feeling shows the GOP’s increasing discomfort with Trump’s business connections and how they will affect his ability to govern.
Trump has treated this uproar with mild disdain. The Qatari government has, for its part, chipped in to clarify that no firm decision has yet been taken on the plane’s move. As Trump is on his Middle Eastern tour, the pressure on his dealings with both Qatar and the UAE heightens.
The yearslong, sometimes incendiary, controversy serves as a prime example of the strange political and personal finance world that swirls around Trump. How this plays out, as lawmakers attempt to solve these ethical problems, still remains an open question.