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.”
