President Donald Trump says it would be “stupid” not to accept the gift of a $400 million jet from the Qatari government to use as Air Force One, but no shortage of Republicans think it would be stupid to do it. Stupid, of course, is a judgement call — but would the acceptance of such a gift from a foreign nation also be unconstitutional?
On Fox News, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) said: “The constitution in Article 2 says the president cannot take gifts from foreign leaders. There is a provision in the Constitution that says you cannot do this. I think it’s not worth the appearance of impropriety.”
Rand added to that objection the practical challenges presented by a gift that also has the potential to function like a bribe. Speaking of Qatar and its record of human rights violations, Rand said he hasn’t been “a big fan” of the wealthy influential Arab nation and he wondered aloud if “our ability to judge their human rights record would be clouded by the fact of this large gift.”
.@SpeakerMcCarthy: Trump should accept the Qatari jet to pressure Boeing into finishing the new Air Force One. pic.twitter.com/Nv2PlsrpER
— Jesse Watters (@JesseBWatters) May 14, 2025
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called Trump’s potential acceptance of the jet both “inappropriate” and “unconstitutional.”
Addressing the proposed conditions around the gift — that it would become Trump’s personal property (or the property of his presidential library) once the new American-made Air Force One is ready — Shaheen said: “It sends the very worst message to Americans about being in office to enrich himself instead of being focused on what’s in the best interest of the country.”
Trump’s take, as shown in the post below, is that both Rand and Shaheen are “fools” — concerned about impropriety when they should be grateful.
More sobering is the practical objection of Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), a MAGA proponent who rarely voices disagreement with the president’s decisions. Scott portrayed the gift as a security risk along the lines of the Trojan Horse.
As Trump seeks to re-order the world’s alliances, including inviting former terrorist leaders like new transitional Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa into the fold, Scott is less quick to trust America’s longstanding — if ostensibly former — enemies. Scott said plainly: “I’m not flying on a Qatari plane. They support Hamas. I don’t know how you make it safe.”
