President Donald Trump lashed out at Democrats Sunday night for criticizing his upcoming receipt of a luxury Boeing 747-8 jet reportedly offered by the government of Qatar.
The jet, worth roughly $300 million, is said to be earmarked for use as a temporary replacement for Air Force One. After Trump leaves office, it would reportedly be housed at his future presidential library. While the White House insists the deal is legal, critics are calling it exactly what it looks like: a bribe.
On Truth Social, Trump exploded at critics accusing him of personally profiting from the gift.
“So the fact that the Defense Department is getting a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE, of a 747 aircraft to replace the 40 year old Air Force One, temporarily, in a very public and transparent transaction, so bothers the Crooked Democrats that they insist we pay, TOP DOLLAR, for the plane,” Trump wrote. “Anybody can do that! The Dems are World Class Losers!!! MAGA.”
The backlash from Democrats was swift. They say the jet, regardless of how it’s being framed, is still a foreign gift—and potentially an illegal one at that.
“Trump must seek Congress’ consent to take this $300 million gift from Qatar,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee. “The Constitution is perfectly clear: no present ‘of any kind whatever’ from a foreign state without Congressional permission. A gift you use for four years and then deposit in your library is still a gift (and a grift).”
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) went even further, suggesting the mere idea of the deal raises serious questions about Trump’s relationships abroad.
“The fact giving Trump a jet is ‘under consideration’ tells you all you need to know about what countries are being told they need to do to be an ally with America under Trump,” he wrote.
Despite the outrage, the White House is trying to calm the storm. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt didn’t confirm any of the details but said everything was above board.
“Any gift given by a foreign government is always accepted in full compliance with all applicable laws. President Trump’s Administration is committed to full transparency,” Leavitt said in a statement to NewsNation.
Still, the optics are bad. A luxury aircraft from a wealthy Gulf nation, gifted to a president known for blurring lines between public service and private gain? Legal or not, it walks and talks like influence.
