Schumer blocking Trump nominees over Qatar plane ‘gift’

Donald Trump was excited to announce that Qatar was going to hand him a $400 million plane as a gift, which would serve as a temporary Air Force One.

Well, people on both sides of the aisle are not happy, with Senator Schumer (D-N.Y.) saying he will now block all appointments until this transaction can be investigated.

Don’t Like the Deal

Ben Shapiro was among the first to object to the “gift,” stating, "I think the technical term is 'skeezy.'

"Qatar is not allegedly giving President Trump a $400m jet out of the goodness of their sweet little hearts. They try to stuff money into pockets in totally bipartisan fashion."

Laura Loomer, who usually defends Trump over everything, was also against the gift, calling it a “stain” on the administration.

Senator Rick Scott (R-FL), another Trump loyalist, stated there were severe national security concerns, further adding that he would never travel in that plane.

Political Espionage

Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) has never been a fan of Trump, and this gift has her up in arms as well.

She stated, “The transaction strikes me as being rife with political espionage, ethical and constitutional problems.

“The plane would have to be thoroughly scrubbed to ensure that listening devices had not been implanted. That would take a great deal of time, to make sure that it meets the security standards that the president needs. Ultimately, I don’t understand why we would pursue this for the new aircraft that the president needs.”

I agree with her on the security front, and I believe it would take years to inspect and convert the plane over to Air Force One (they would literally have to strip down the plane and examine every part before fitting it for Air Force One, which by itself would take months, if not years). To me, this just seems more like a vanity play for Trump because the plane would be transferred to his presidential library after his term.

Schumer Blocks Trump

After the reports broke, Schumer immediately moved against Trump, stating, "News of the Qatari government gifting Donald Trump a $400 million private jet to use as Air Force One is so corrupt that even Putin would give a double take. This is not just naked corruption, it is also a grave national security threat.

"So, in light of the deeply troubling news of a possible Qatari-funded Air Force One, and the reports that the Attorney General personally signed off on this clearly unethical deal, I am announcing a hold on all DOJ political nominees, until we get more answers.”

Trump responded by taking a dig at Schumer, stating, "Schumer is Schumer. You know, he's become a Palestinian. Something wrong with him? I don't know, I've known him a long time and there's something wrong. He's lost his confidence, totally. And there's something wrong with him. I don't know what it is with Schumer."

Over and above the national security concerns, which are legitimate, this is about optics, and they are not good for a president who is already scrutinized over every little thing. My opinion, Trump should say thanks, but no thanks, and move on, as taking this plane is just not a smart move. Not to mention the even worse optics if, upon inspection, something is found that would have compromised national security. When you consider the access this plane would have, it is just far too dangerous to even consider.