WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES — President Donald Trump has strongly dismissed ethical concerns surrounding his plans to accept a jet from Qatar for use as Air Force One, asserting that refusing such a gift would be “stupid.” Â
“It’s a great gesture,” the 78-year-old businessman told reporters at the White House on Monday, when questioned about potential expectations from the oil-rich Gulf state in exchange for the jet.
“I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer. I mean, I could be a stupid person (and) say ‘no we don’t want a free, very expensive airplane.'” Qatar’s royal family has offered to donate a luxury 747-8 jumbo jet as Trump awaits the delayed delivery of two new presidential planes from Boeing. This move has sparked significant constitutional and ethical debates, along with security concerns regarding the use of a foreign-donated aircraft for the highly sensitive role of Air Force One.
The U.S. Constitution’s Emoluments Clause prohibits government officials from accepting gifts “from any King, Prince or foreign State.”
Trump responded sharply when asked whether he would use the jet for personal purposes after his presidency.
“You should be embarrassed asking that question,” Trump told a reporter. “They’re giving us a free jet. I could say, no, no, no, don’t give us I want to pay you $1 billion or $400 million, or whatever it is. Or I could say, thank you very much.” Trump stated that the jet would instead be donated to his future presidential library as an exhibit, similar to the display of a former Air Force One jet at Ronald Reagan’s library.
Utmost transparency
Trump and the White House maintain that the Qatari jet would be a gift to the U.S. Department of Defense, thereby circumventing constitutional concerns.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt assured that the White House would operate with “utmost transparency.”
“The Qatari government has graciously offered to donate a plane to the Department of Defense. The legal details of that are still being worked out,” Leavitt told Fox News.
“But of course, any donation to this government is always done in full compliance with the law, and we commit ourselves to the utmost transparency, and we will continue to do that.”
When questioned about potential quid pro quo from Qatar, Leavitt replied: “Absolutely not, because they know President Trump and they know he only works with the interests of the American public in mind.” Qatar sought to minimize the controversy, clarifying that the jet would not be a gift.
“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,” said Ali Al-Ansari, Qatar’s media attaché to Washington.
Democrats, however, swiftly criticized the plan.
“Any president who accepts this kind of gift, valued at $400 million, from a foreign government creates a clear conflict of interest,” stated four members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The statement, issued by Senators Cory Booker, Brian Schatz, Chris Coons, and Chris Murphy, also asserted that the move “raises serious national security questions, invites foreign influence, and undermines public trust in our government.”
Trump has long expressed dissatisfaction with the current Air Force One jets, two highly customized Boeing 747-200B series aircraft that entered service in 1990 under President George H.W. Bush.
Earlier in the year, Trump indicated that his administration was “looking at alternatives” to Boeing due to delays in the delivery of two new 747-8 aircraft.
Trump also displays a model of the future Air Force One, featuring his chosen red, white, and blue colors, on the coffee table in the Oval Office. Trump already utilizes his private jet, branded “Trump Force One,” for travel within the United States during the 2024 election campaign.
