Luxury jet for Trump from Qatar attracts criticism

Senate Republicans on Monday indicated they have multiple concerns with President Donald Trump potentially being gifted a new luxury jet from Qatar, ranging from safety to legal to ethical.

Trump on Monday defended his potential acceptance of a new Boeing 747-8 airplane from the government of Qatar to serve as a replacement for the current pair of Air Force One aircraft, saying that it would be “stupid” not to do so.

But Senate Republicans made clear they are uneasy about the potential arrangement for many reasons, including over Qatar’s alliances in the region. 

“I’m not flying on a Qatari plane. They support Hamas,” said Sen. Rick Scott, an ardent Trump supporter. “I don’t know how you make it safe.”

Some Republicans also seemed worried about the president flying on an aircraft purchased by another nation-state. 

“It would be better if Air Force One were a big, beautiful jet made in the United States of America,” said Sen. Josh Hawley. “That would be ideal.”

The move comes amid ongoing delays and budget overruns at Boeing, which has been contracted to build two new jets to serve as Air Force One.

The Qatari jet, valued at roughly US$400 million, would be transferred to Trump’s presidential library following his term, the president said.

While Republicans were not quick to criticize, they indicated they have broad concerns and also warned the Trump administration that it must have all of their I’s dotted and T’s crossed to go ahead with the deal. 

“I think they should run the legal challenges to see [if it’s OK]. I’d be checking for bugs, is what I’d be checking for,” Sen. Shelley Moore Capito said. ”We need to look at the constitutionality of it, sure.”

Democrats, meanwhile, were quick to heap criticism on the move, arguing that it amounts to blatant corruption and would put the nation at risk.

Using the plane as Air Force One “would pose immense counterintelligence risks by granting a foreign nation potential access to sensitive systems and communications,” Sen. Jack Reed, the ranking member of his chamber’s defense panel, said in a statement.

“This reckless disregard for national security and diplomatic propriety signals a dangerous willingness to barter American interests for personal gain,” Reed said, adding that “it is an affront to the office of the presidency and a betrayal of the trust placed in any US leader to safeguard the nation’s sovereignty.”