Qatar, Trump and foreign emoluments
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Donald Trump, Saudi Arabia
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Trump, Middle East
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In May 2025, the nation of Qatar gave the Department of Defense a Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet to be remodeled into a new Air Force One.
The Constitution bars federal officials from accepting gifts from foreign states without the consent of Congress.
Trump’s plan to accept free Air Force One replacement from Qatar raises ethical and security worries
Trump said accepting a luxury 747 from Qatar is a no-brainer. But critics say the plan threatens to turn a symbol of American power into a collection of legal and counterintelligence concerns.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune and GOP firebrand senators are among those voicing discomfort with the deal.
Trump’s plan to accept a $400 million plane from Qatar has ignited a full-blown firestorm among Democrats in Congress
Schumer also called on Attorney General Pam Bondi to testify before Congress and answer a number of questions related to the potential gift.
Republicans break with Trump over a $400 million luxury jet gifted by Qatar’s government, raising legal, ethical, and political alarms. The aircraft, a Boeing 747-8, was reportedly intended for the Pentagon but could serve as Trump’s Air Force One,
President Donald Trump has arrived in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh this morning as part of a landmark visit to three Gulf states this week, which has been clouded by backlash over a potential luxury jet gift from Qatar.