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Trump Faces Bipartisan Backlash Over $400M Qatari Jet Gift

The Qatari royal family's luxury plane donation intensifies scrutiny of Trump's foreign dealings amid legal and congressional reviews.

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President Donald Trump gives a thumbs up as he boards Air Force One to depart Al Udeid Air Base, Thursday, May 15, 2025, in Doha, Qatar.
President Donald J. Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attend a bilateral meeting at the Saudi Royal Court on May 13, 2025, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Overview

  • President Trump accepted a $400 million Boeing 747 jet from Qatar, framing it as a government-to-government transaction, drawing bipartisan criticism and legal scrutiny.
  • Democratic Senator Chris Murphy called the gift 'the definition of corruption,' while Republican Senator Rand Paul warned of its potential conflict of interest optics.
  • Congressional Democrats are expanding oversight to investigate broader Trump family business ventures tied to Gulf states, including a $2 billion Emirati investment in their cryptocurrency project.
  • Trump’s Middle East tour also secured over $2 trillion in Gulf investment pledges, major aerospace and arms deals, and the lifting of U.S. sanctions on Syria.
  • Ethics experts argue that the Qatari gift may violate the Constitution's Emoluments Clause, with projected taxpayer costs for adapting the jet exceeding $1 billion.