Dems coming after Trump over Qatari plane

Recently, it was leaked that Qatar was going to supply a “free” plane to Trump to use as Air Force One while we continue to wait on Boeing to deliver the planes Trump ordered during his first term.

There was the expected outrage on the left, but now some Republicans are also calling out Trump for the “gift.”

Dems Want Gift Blocked

Sens. Brian Schatz (D-HI), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Chris Coons (D-DE) went right after Trump for daring to accept such a large “gift” from another government.

The joint statement read, “The Constitution is clear: elected officials, like the president, cannot accept large gifts from foreign governments without consent from Congress. Air Force One is more than just a plane — it’s a symbol of the presidency and of the United States itself. [It] creates a clear conflict of interest and undermines public trust in our government.

“No one — not even the president — is above the law. This week, we will ask the Senate to vote to reiterate a basic principle: no one should use public service for personal gain through foreign gifts.”

The Dems were not alone in questioning whether Trump should accept the plane, which would be “donated” to his presidential library after Trump left office.

Republicans protest

I was surprised to see talking head Laura Loomer speak up against the gift, as she usually supports just about anything and everything that Trump does. She stated, “I love President Trump. I would take a bullet for him."

“But, I have to call a spade a spade. We cannot accept a $400 million ‘gift’ from jihadists in suits. This is really going to be such a stain on the admin if this is true. I’m so disappointed.”

Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) was among the Republicans wary of the gift, stating, “I’m not flying on a Qatari plane. They support Hamas. I don’t know how you make it safe.”

Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) added, “It would be better if Air Force One were a big, beautiful jet made in the United States of America. That would be ideal.”

Trump Defends Gift

There is supposed to be a limit on the value of the gift an elected official can accept, yet Trump still tried to justify taking the plane, stating, "We're very disappointed that it's taking Boeing so long to build a new Air Force One. You know, we have an Air Force One that's 40 years old. And if you take a look at that, compared to the new plane of the equivalent, you know, stature at the time, it's not even the same ballgame.

"When I first came in, I signed an order to get (the new Air Force One fleet) built. I took it over from the Obama administration, they had originally agreed. I got the price down much lower. And then, when the election didn't exactly work out the way that it should have, a lot of work was not done on the plane because a lot of people didn't know they made change orders. That was so stupid, so ridiculous. And it ended up being a total mess, a real mess."

Saving money is great, but I really don’t think this is the way to do it, especially for a president who is under a microscope and every move he makes is being scrutinized to the Nth degree.

I also agree with Scott in wondering how we can really trust that the plane is not rigged or bugged. I would not buy the plane, I would not accept the plane… keep using what we have until Boeing is finally able to deliver, or cancel the contract and give it to someone else who can.