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President Donald Trump’s Qatari plane problem might circle his administration for longer than he’d like.
Trump is forging ahead with his plans to accept a lavish jumbo jet from the Middle Eastern nation’s government, even as a number of conservatives and Trump allies question the potential security and geopolitical risks it would entail. As Democrats signal they’ll try to keep the plane in headlines for weeks to come, Trump may find himself with limited cover from his own party on the matter.
Republicans’ two biggest concerns with the plane involve security and optics. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, told reporters that ensuring security of the jet is “a real problem because, I’m sure, given the opportunity, our adversaries would be happy to plant something.”
And Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., described his fears to Semafor more broadly: “I worry about the president of the United States flying on any plane owned by a foreign government, especially a foreign government that supports Hamas and has a working relationship with communist China.”
Trump is used to making decisions that run counter to establishment GOP views, and accepting the plane appears to be no exception. One person close to the president said Trump, particularly during his second term, cares far less about what others (even allies) think, adding that the “hand-wringing is much ado about nothing.”
But Democrats clearly recognize a political opportunity in the plane, given that Qatar has maintained friendly relations with Iran and that the leaders of Hamas resided in Doha until recently. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called Trump’s acceptance of the jet under those circumstances an “embarrassment” on Tuesday, as 27 Democratic senators released a resolution condemning Trump’s still-unofficial acceptance of the jet.
If the political headaches it creates don’t deter Trump, there are also logistical constraints to consider. It’s not clear whether the president, if he accepts the plane, will be able to fly on it before leaving office: The luxury jet is 13 years old, and will need billions of dollars of work in order to comply with Air Force One standards, The Washington Post reported.
Trump can decide to proceed with using the plane more quickly without meeting those standards. That would only increase GOP scrutiny.
“I am not a security expert on what you have to do to planes and Air Force One, but my guess is it would be a very good question for people at the Pentagon,” Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., told reporters. “My guess is, it would take both significant amounts of both money and time to make sure that there isn’t anything on the plane that shouldn’t be on the plane.”
Scott, asked if he’s conveyed his concerns to Trump, replied: “I’m sure that he is worried about his own safety. I think he’ll figure it out.”
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The political fallout could run deeper than simple Democratic pushback. Trump’s trip to Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates this week was designed to tout financial partnerships with the region, but the plane offer is sparking US coverage that spotlights the potential downside of his deal-making diplomacy.
“I think his policies in the Middle East have been a lot stronger than his predecessor, [but] accepting a quarter-of-a-billion-dollar gift from the regime that’s funded terrorist activities does not seem to be in the nation’s best interest,” Marc Short, who served as chief of staff to Trump’s first vice president, Mike Pence, told Semafor.
The Boeing 747 on offer to Trump will not be presented or accepted during the president’s overseas trip this week, a White House official said. Meanwhile, a Qatari official said the gift is “under consideration” but also still “under review.”
The roughly $400 million aircraft would amount to one of the largest foreign gifts received by the US, and it may be donated to Trump’s presidential library after he leaves office — which would allow Trump to use it once he’s no longer president. (Trump on Monday said he “won’t be using” the plane after leaving office.)
shelby and morgan’s view
The conservatives who are raising security and optics questions have a point: Legitimate risks come with accepting such a gift from any foreign government, let alone one that’s not a traditional US ally.
Even Trump himself described Qatar as a sponsor of terrorism during his first term, when he supported Saudi Arabia’s push to isolate its neighbor.
In addition, it’s unclear whether Trump, who has made no secret that he wants a new Air Force One ASAP, will be content to lose out on flying in it while the necessary upgrades and checks are completed.
The deal still isn’t official, and there’s always a possibility that it doesn’t pan out. But don’t expect the intraparty criticism to be the reason he cites: For Trump, a free $400 million plane is simply a good deal.
Room for Disagreement
While a notably large group of conservatives and MAGA allies are making clear they don’t approve of the plan, far more on the right remain silent — or think the criticism is overblown.
“I’m not concerned about it,” the person close to the White House told Semafor. “I don’t know that the president will ever ride in it. Remember, he just replaced the Trump airplane, and he likes that a lot.”
And Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., spoke for a fair number of people in the party who appear to assume Trump wouldn’t be able to use the plane until it meets security standards.
“It wouldn’t be usable the way that it is right now. They’d have to make some changes to it,” Rounds told Semafor. “So, in this particular case, I think that’ll work itself out — just because I think it’s going to take a lot of time to actually do something to it, to make it as a vehicle or an aircraft that the president could use.”
Notable
- Detailed specs of what appears to be the plane in question are available online, Semafor scooped this weekend.