US President Donald Trump boasted yesterday that Qatar has offered to give his administration a free luxury plane, but current and former US military, defense and Secret Service officials believe that it would hardly be a good idea for the president to use the plane, the “Washington Post“ writes, BTA reported.
Trump said he would be “fool“ if he did not accept the “Boeing 747-8“ plane worth $400 million, and called the gift “a great gesture“ from Qatar, the publication notes. The president said he intends to use the plane for "a few years" while his administration waits for the delivery of two planes that Boeing is currently building.
The lavishly furnished double-decker plane - originally purchased for the Qatari royal family - is significantly newer than the current presidential jets, which were in service with the George W. Bush administration in the 1990s, the newspaper said. Securing a new, modern "Air Force One" appears to be a priority for the president - he even keeps a model of one of the planes that Boeing is due to deliver in the Oval Office, the Washington Post reported.
However, this "gift" is far from free: Qatar will certainly expect something in return, the newspaper said. “New York Post“.
The lavishly furnished Qatari plane will first be transferred to the US Department of Defense and will be used by Trump until “Boeing“ completes work on the new planes, which are to replace the two more than 30-year-old aircraft that are now in service, the publication explains. However, the plan is that the plane will then be donated to Trump's presidential library, which would likely make it his personal property, the newspaper points out.
Not only does this not create a good impression, but it may also violate a clause in the constitution that prohibits presidents from receiving gifts, and Qatar is known for trying to buy influence, the publication comments.
The Trump administration has demonstrated a striking disregard for the norms of decency and for traditional legal and political restrictions, the newspaper writes. „New York Times“.
He is apparently encouraged, in part, by a Supreme Court decision last year that granted presidents immunity for their official actions, the publication commented. In addition, Trump's strong control of the Republican Party means that he does not fear impeachment, it added.
Trump has signaled that he views Qatar's offer to give him the plane as a kind of return of a favor, emphasizing that the United States guarantees the country's security and "will continue to do so," the „New York Times“ said.
Senate Democrats have said they will take action against President Trump's decision to accept the luxury plane from Qatar, the „Washington Examiner“ reports. Democrats accused Trump of grossly violating the clause of the constitution that prohibits officials from accepting “any gift from any king, prince or foreign power“, the publication points out.
The US Department of Justice said that the gift did not constitute a bribe, since no official act was offered in exchange for the plane, and the administration claims that the government, not Trump himself, will own the plane, commented “Washington Examiner“.
In any case, the steps that Democrats can take on this issue are essentially symbolic, considering that Republicans have a majority in both houses of Congress and have no intention of taking steps against the president, the newspaper concludes.