{"id":38435,"date":"2025-05-23T10:38:08","date_gmt":"2025-05-23T14:38:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/?post_type=article&p=38435"},"modified":"2025-09-09T15:44:43","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T19:44:43","slug":"trumps-400-million-gift-from-qatar-is-a-dangerous-deal-for-america","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/de\/articles\/trumps-400-million-gift-from-qatar-is-a-dangerous-deal-for-america\/","title":{"rendered":"Trumps 1TP4B400 Millionen \u201eGeschenk\u201c aus Katar ist ein gef\u00e4hrlicher Deal f\u00fcr Amerika"},"template":"","class_list":["post-38435","article","type-article","status-publish","hentry","article_type-blog-post"],"acf":{"details":{"summary":"The President of the United States should serve the people, not wealthy foreign governments, but Trump has once again shown that he is for sale to the highest bidder.","featured_image":38436,"article_type":1103,"authors":"","related_issues":[2082,129],"related_work":false,"location":null},"sidebar":{"helper_enable_sidebar":false,"helper_media_contact":{"heading":"Media Contact","manually_enter_person":false,"person":"","name":"","role":"","phone":"","email":""},"helper_links_downloads":{"heading":"Links & Downloads","links":null}},"page_layout":[{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_wysiwyg":{"content":"Here\u2019s what\u2019s going on: the Trump administration <\/span>is accepting<\/span><\/a> A <\/span>$400 million luxury jet from Qatar. <\/b>This customized Boeing 747 has been called a <\/span>\u201cflying palace\u201d<\/b> and may be the most expensive gift ever given to the United States.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nThe Trump administration and the Qatari government have called<\/a> this exchange a transaction between the Qatari ministry of defense and the United States Department of Defense, and claimed it\u2019s totally above board.<\/span>\r\n\r\nBut that doesn\u2019t pass the laugh test. <\/span>Trump has shared his plans to personally benefit from the gift. <\/b>When he leaves office, the plane <\/span>will be transferred<\/span><\/a> to the Trump presidential library foundation.<\/span>\r\n\r\nIn other words, the plan seems to be:<\/span>\r\n
    \r\n \t
  1. Accept a luxury plane from Qatar<\/b> using the power of the presidency.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
  2. Use it as Air Force One<\/b> for a little while, and retrofit it at taxpayer expense.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
  3. Keep it for Trump\u2019s foundation <\/b>after leaving office.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nThat\u2019s a pretty good deal \u2013 for Trump. But it\u2019s a terrible one for the American people and our democracy.<\/span>\r\n\r\n "}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_featured_action","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_featured_action":{"action_to_show":"choose","image_side":"left","action":["{\"site_id\":\"1\",\"post_type\":\"act\",\"post_id\":44378}"],"title":"","summary":"","post_link":null,"secondary_link":null}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_wysiwyg":{"content":"

    Here\u2019s what the law says about expensive foreign gifts, and why it matters:<\/span><\/h3>\r\nAccording to the U.S. Constitution, <\/span>Congress must approve any gift from a foreign country to a U.S. official<\/b>. One of the most famous times Congress followed this rule was in 1877, when it approved France\u2019s gift of the <\/span>Statue of Liberty<\/b>.<\/span>\r\n\r\nThere\u2019s a reason Congress is supposed to approve gifts from foreign governments: it\u2019s to stop <\/span>bribery and foreign influence<\/b>. Think about it: if foreign countries can hand out million-dollar presents to U.S. presidents, who will the president feel more loyal to, his constituents, or another government?<\/span>\r\n\r\nIn this case, the gift might have something to do with the Trump Organization\u2019s business dealings in Qatar, which now include <\/span>investing<\/span><\/a> $5.5 billion in a golf resort. <\/b>By accepting this gift, Trump has shown once again that <\/span>he sought the presidency to put money in his own pockets, not to look out for what\u2019s best for America.<\/b>\r\n

    The Attorney General Used To Lobby For Qatar \u2013 Now She\u2019s Trying To Make Legal Excuses For Trump\u2019s Corruption<\/span><\/h3>\r\nCongress hasn\u2019t approved this gift<\/b>, and even some Republicans in Congress have called it out<\/a>, saying the lavish plane goes too far and raises serious national security risks<\/span>.<\/b>\r\n\r\nBut instead of turning down the gift, Trump\u2019s team is trying to find a way around the law. Attorney General <\/span>Pam Bondi <\/b>has been attempting to argue that this transfer is legal. But it\u2019s important to note that Bondi <\/span>was a lobbyist for Qatar<\/span><\/a> from 2019 to 2020. Her former lobbying firm <\/span>was making<\/span><\/a> $115,000 per month lobbying for the Qatari government.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nThis means that the person leading the charge in support of this gift was <\/span>being paid by Qatar<\/b> not long ago.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n

    Retrofitting This Plane Could <\/span>Cost Taxpayers $1 Billion<\/span><\/h3>\r\nRight now, the plane Trump wants to accept is <\/span>not equipped with the proper security systems<\/b>, and fixing this <\/span>will cost the American people a ton of money.<\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nWhile \u201cAir Force One\u201d technically refers to any plane that carries the President, the planes that make up the Air Force One fleet are specially outfitted to be incredibly secure. They\u2019re basically flying fortresses, equipped with high-tech communications, defenses against nuclear threats, and the ability to help the president run the country even in a crisis. The current fleet is in need of replacement, but this gifted jet doesn\u2019t actually solve that problem.<\/span>\r\n\r\nThat\u2019s because replacing Air Force One isn\u2019t as simple as acquiring a normal commercial jet. This plane from Qatar wasn\u2019t designed to be Air Force One, and experts say it would be <\/span>risky, impractical, and unethical<\/b> to use it as such. <\/span>Turning this 747 into Air Force One <\/b>could take years and cost $1 billion<\/b><\/a>, as it would have to be disassembled and then reassembled for security reasons.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nSo why does Trump want this plane?<\/span>\r\n\r\nBecause when his presidency ends, the aircraft will be handed over to his presidential library foundation. That means <\/span>Trump would get a private, $400 million plane<\/b> courtesy of a foreign government.<\/span>\r\n

    Let\u2019s Be Clear: None of This is Normal<\/span><\/h3>\r\nIt\u2019s <\/span>not normal for a U.S. president to accept a luxury jet<\/b> from a foreign country. It\u2019s not normal for the attorney general to give legal cover to a deal when she <\/span>used to be paid by that same country<\/b>. It\u2019s not normal for a U.S. leader's company to invest <\/span>$5.5 billion in a golf resort<\/b> in the country that just gave him a massive gift. And it\u2019s not normal for a president to plan to<\/span> keep a massive gift like this for himself.<\/b>\r\n\r\nThis isn\u2019t how democracy is supposed to work. The president isn\u2019t supposed to be for sale to the highest bidder.<\/span>\r\n\r\nAmericans deserve better. We need leaders who work for us \u2014 not for luxury jets, shady deals, or foreign cash.<\/span>"}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_add_component","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_add_component":null},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_work","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_work":{"heading":"Work","manually_curate":false,"work":null}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_related_articles","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_related_articles":{"heading":"Updates","button_text":"See all Related Articles","manually_curate":false,"articles":null}}]},"yoast_head":"\nTrump\u2019s $400 Million \u201cGift\u201d From Qatar Is a Dangerous Deal for America - Common Cause<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Trump's embrace of a $400 million plane from Qatar has once again shown that he is for sale to the highest bidder.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/de\/artikel-2\/trumps-400-million-gift-from-qatar-is-a-dangerous-deal-for-america\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"de_DE\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Trump\u2019s $400 Million \u201cGift\u201d From Qatar Is a Dangerous Deal for America\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Trump's embrace of a $400 million plane from Qatar has once again shown that he is for sale to the highest bidder.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/de\/artikel-2\/trumps-400-million-gift-from-qatar-is-a-dangerous-deal-for-america\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Common Cause\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CommonCause\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-09-09T19:44:43+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/AdobeStock_379055812_Editorial_Use_Only-scaled.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1707\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@CommonCause\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/articles\/trumps-400-million-gift-from-qatar-is-a-dangerous-deal-for-america\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/articles\/trumps-400-million-gift-from-qatar-is-a-dangerous-deal-for-america\/\",\"name\":\"Trump\u2019s $400 Million \u201cGift\u201d From Qatar Is a Dangerous Deal for America - 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