Donald Trump’s free airplane scandal just got even uglier
The luxury jet offer from Qatar’s royal family for the United States to use as Air Force One has been setting off all sorts of alarm bells, from Constitution and ethics violations to national security risks. Plus, even if accepted, the plane would require substantial modifications to meet U.S. standards. What President would say yes in a heartbeat to such a clearly unacceptable gift?
Donald Trump, of course. His self-love, obsession with flattery and attention, and insatiable materialism are his guideposts here—not a sworn commitment to uphold the Constitution, his political savvy, diplomatic wisdom, sober self-restraint, or anything else that should take precedence here. While this may be the type of behavior we expect from Donald Trump, it is not how things normally play out when it comes to the handling of gifts received from foreign nations.
For example, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently gave a cowboy statue and framed photo to his British counterpart, John Healey, according to official records. Citing its own government rules, the U.K. Ministry of Defence held the gift, and that was that. While this was covered by the press, it did not become a big story or a scandal, or an embarrassment for the receiving country.
Rahm Emanuel, who served as President Obama’s White House Chief of Staff, appeared on The View this week and recalled a time when they traveled to Saudi Arabia. When he arrived and entered his room, he saw “an ostrich briefcase. I open it up, diamond necklaces, earrings, bracelets, priceless rings,” Emanuel explained. He then sent a photo of the items to his wife with the message “not happening,” and promptly reported everything to the State Department for documentation.
Of course, it is not in Trump’s programming to say no to a luxury gift, and he will rush to discount or ignore the many crystal-clear reasons why he should, prioritizing his own childish needs. Making matters even worse, new reporting from Forbes adds an additional layer to the growing scandal. This is not some wonderful bespoke plane that Qatar designed with Trump in mind, but a clunky, old-school gas-guzzler that the government has been trying to get rid of for years. Donald Trump has found yet another way to prove himself to be a complete embarrassment to the United States.
Ron Leshnower is a lawyer and the author of several books, including President Trump’s Month