Trump rejects ethics criticism over gifted Qatari jet

US President Donald Trump lashed out at Democratic lawmakers who condemned his plans to accept a luxury Boeing jet from Qatar.  

In a post on his Truth Social platform Trump stated on Monday that the Defense Department was receiving a 747 aircraft “as a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE” to temporarily replace the aging Air Force One, calling it a “very public and transparent transaction.”

He claimed that the arrangement upset what he described as “Crooked Democrats,” who, according to the president, insisted the government pay “TOP DOLLAR” for the plane instead. Trump dismissed the deal’s complexity, saying: “Anybody can do that! The Dems are World Class Losers!!!”   

The US president is set to receive a super-luxury Boeing 747-8 from the Qatari royal family. ABC News first reported the pending aircraft deal ahead of his upcoming Middle East trip. The gift is expected to be officially announced this week, sources told the outlet. Valued at around $400 million, the plane, popularly known as the “flying palace,” could become the most expensive gift ever given to the US by a foreign government. Trump previously toured a Qatari-owned aircraft of the same model in February at Palm Beach International Airport.  

Trump is set to visit Qatar during a trip to the Middle East this week. Qatari officials told The Hill the plane would not be handed over during the upcoming trip.   

While the White House declined to confirm details, the president stated that the Defense Department would receive the gifted aircraft, which is expected to be refurbished into the new Air Force One. White House and DOJ lawyers reportedly determined that the gift is legal and does not violate bribery laws or the Constitution’s foreign gift ban.   

However, reports of the gifted plane drew sharp criticism from Democratic lawmakers, who accused Trump of using the presidency for personal gain.  

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, labeled the deal “a grift.”  

“Trump must seek Congress’ consent to take this $300 million gift from Qatar. 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),” Raskin wrote in a post on X.  

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt declined to confirm details of the deal but said: “Any gift given by a foreign government is always accepted in full compliance with all applicable laws,” according to Reuters.   

The White House’s current Boeing 747-200 jets, in service since the early 1990s, have faced ongoing technical issues, prompting a longstanding effort to replace them.  

A Boeing contract for two new Air Force One planes based on the 747-8 has been plagued by delays and rising costs, pushing delivery from the original 2024 target to as late as 2027 or 2028.