Multiple congressional Republicans raised concerns on Tuesday about President Donald Trump's desire to accept a $400 million airplane from Qatar, with at least one noting doing so could pose a security risk.
Trump said on Monday that it would be "stupid" for him to refuse Qatar's offer of the Boeing 747-8 airplane, which would be used as U.S. "Air Force One," the jet American presidents travel on when they fly around the globe.
The aircraft eventually would be donated to Trump's presidential library.
"There will be plenty of scrutiny," Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota told reporters. "There are lots and lots of issues around that, that I think will attract very serious questions."
Senate Commerce Committee Chair Ted Cruz of Texas, a Republican who has long been critical of Qatari foreign policy, told CNBC that he had concerns about such a deal.
"The plane poses significant espionage and surveillance problems, so we’ll see how this issue plays out," he said.
The Defense Department is already in the process of procuring a replacement for the current, aging Air Force One, with delivery by Boeing expected within a couple of years.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer earlier vowed to block all of Trump's nominees to the Justice Department until the agency reports what it knows about the Qatari offer. Three nominees are currently before the Senate.
"The attorney general must testify before both the House and Senate to explain why gifting Donald Trump a private jet does not violate the emoluments clause (of the U.S. Constitution), which requires congressional approval," he said in a speech to the Senate.
Schumer, of New York, said he wants answers to whether the Qatari government will pay for modifications of the aircraft needed to protect the president, secure communications and provide special configurations for what is in practice an airborne Oval Office workspace.
If the U.S. government must bear those costs, Schumer said, "why are American taxpayers being asked to spend hundreds of millions of dollars or more on a plane that will only be used for year or two?"
A White House spokesperson on Monday said details of the gift were still being arranged. A new commercial 747-8 costs approximately $400 million.
Outside ethics experts have listed a range of Trump activities that could point to the president using his office to enrich himself or his family. Schumer specifically mentioned a $TRUMP meme coin, plans for a new Trump hotel in Dubai and a new golf course in Qatar.
Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, one of the most rebellious members of his party, said Trump taking the plane would be a mistake.
“I think it's not worth the appearance of impropriety,” he told Fox News' "Jesse Watters Primetime" program late on Monday. "I wouldn't take it."
© Thomson Reuters 2025.
27 Comments
plasticmonkey
What's wrong with corruption?
Besides, that's what the MAGA "team" voted for, right?
Blacklabel
17% approval Chuckie Schumer has an opinion? No thanks! lol
and a couple of people who ran for President against Trump and lost? Their Opinions are welcomed but mean little.
lincolnman
Come on Rand, get real....do you think Trump has any sense of "propriety"?
The guy was convicted of 34 felonies! He was adjudged a sexual abuser! He bragged about "grabbing" women's genitals!
Not just these Repub pols but MAGA-world is also upset at this "bribe"...
Trump squeeze Laura Loomer and MAGA warrior Mark Levin have also criticized it...
Just part of MAGA-world crashing and burning...
plasticmonkey
They will be purged. They are not of the body.
Hail Satan!
Dragon
Why does Trump need a very opulent plane? Future presidents won't use it and will donate to his library. The first new Boeing plane will be delivered in 2027. Congress needs to sign off on the gift, and not all Republicans are supportive of it.
lincolnman
I saw a good recommendation the other day....
Sell the plane and use the proceeds to buy girls some more pencils and dolls...
itsonlyrocknroll
Never has a foreign nations generosity, ever come without future diplomatic political “strings”.
Look, as if the huge US military/commercial industry could not provide President Trump with an aircraft?
lincolnman
The "gifts" seem to be flowing to Trump...
After receiving a 747 from the Qatari Emir, today Trump announced he had received an Imperial class Star Destroyer from Emperor Palpatine. Trump expressed his thanks by saying; “What a guy - he’s a winner - and he doesn't mind cracking a few heads to get there. We’re a lot alike”....
Blacklabel
It’s so sad that due to the lack of any legitimate concerns and overall losing narratives, nonsense about Star Wars needs to be manufactured.
Bob Fosse
Air Force One. A global symbol of U.S. presidential power. Made in Qatar. Tacky.
America first? Pull the other one.
Blacklabel
was it manufactured there?
that’s a new claim.
didn’t Boeing make it?
Underworld
The truth of the matter is that Trump won’t be able to use this aircraft while he is president, so it’s useless.
plasticmonkey
Because he's insecure and vain. He needs this plane like he needs a military parade and a bunch of ugly gold bling in the Oval Office.
stormcrow
It’s not a gift to the U.S. government.
It’s a gift to Donald Trump, and Trump sees it that way too.
wallace
Bling Force One.
lostrune2
Have the US government keep it forever (or sell it later at market value) - won't belong to any individual
Any other gifts given to US Presidents would belong to the US government
But it has to be thoroughly inspected - who knows what bugs have been inserted there after it left the factory
Or Qatar give it to him AFTER he leaves office - then he's no longer President and can do whatever he wants with it
lostrune2
Forgot to add - it also has to be retro-fitted for Air Force One use
Air Force One planes are special planes - they have all the equipment that the US President needs in case of war. And it has to survive a nuclear war
That will take time. And it won't be cheap
So if US taxpayer money has to be spent for all that, then US taxpayers get to keep the plane afterwards
wallace
Air Force One, a 747-200, costs around $206,000 per flight hour. Trump also wants to change the Biden colors of Air Force One.
ClippetyClop
I’d be very surprised if the Qataris were dumb enough to bug it.
And I’d be surprised if even Trump was dumb enough to accept it.
itsonlyrocknroll
In all reality these costs….
Air Force One, a 747-200, costs around $206,000 per flight hour.
Is billy bonkers.
Surely, how the President of the United States travels is a matter for the U.S. Air Force.
Expat
That is why it’s called Air Force One but no one expects the president to travel on a transport plane.
bass4funk
Never put anything past your former foe, ever.
He absolutely can do it for the DoD.
bass4funk
Everything
No, not at all.
lostrune2
It doesn't have to be the Qataris - who knows how good or bad the Qatari security on it was
Tokyo Guy
This is going to thin the ranks of the "true" republicans as Trump sees them (i.e. mindlessly loyal to him) and increase the "Rinos", as he charmingly calls them, i.e. anyone who dares suggest that he is anything less than the supreme and infallible leader of the party.
I can see it ending up with him surrounded by the last remaining holdouts who have to pacify him as he rants and raves about disloyalty like some third rate mafia godfather, crapping in his depends.
bass4funk
The Old establishment RINO GOP is pretty much finished.
Hardly, it’s his Republican Party or common sense American First conservatives now, and because the popularity and it expanding will be in the future going forward for these conservatives, if any republican wants to run on the old RINO Reagan 80’s bandwagon then they will never win another election. Almost like the Democrats unwilling to run to the center, if they don’t, the future doesn’t look great for that party..
lincolnman
I'm familiar with Presidential security from my military time - several bases, to include a couple here in Japan, have hosted Presidential visits...
There is a huge "tail" that accompanies the President. First come the C5 and C17s with the limo and backup limo, secret services vehicles, and lots of equipment. Then there is always a backup AF1 parked in a separate location from the primary A/C. Then there's NAOC - the National Airborne Operations Center - a 747 outfitted to function as a in-the-air Command Center. It's a huge and complex operation.
I say this as AF1 must be built from the ground up in a completely secure environment - you can't use an existing aircraft, especially one that flew overseas.
To ensure the President's safety, you'd have to take it completely apart by every nut and bolt - and ensure even the smallest area isn't compromised with listening devices or worse some type of self-destruct mechanism. Remember how the Israelis caused the Hamas cell phones to explode? it only takes a minute device or malicious software to cause the same thing to happen to an airplane.
There's no way this "gift" could work - without taking huge risks to the President and our national security.
It's just plain stupid...