Trump administration in talks with Qatar over plane gift

Qatar’s proposed jet donation has sparked a heated debate over legality and ethics. Photo / Getty Images / Francis Chung / Politico / Bloomberg

• Qatar is in talks to donate an aircraft to the US for Donald Trump’s use.
• Ethics experts warn the donation may violate the emoluments clause of the US Constitution.
• Former ambassador Norm Eisen criticised the potential $400 million gift due to ethical concerns.

Qatar is discussing donating an aircraft to the US Government for President Donald Trump to use, but no final agreement has been reached, according to two people familiar with the discussions who spoke on the condition of anonymity about the sensitive issue. The subject remains in talks between lawyers at the US Defense Department and Qatar’s Defense Ministry, the two people said.

While the deal is not final, ethics experts are raising concerns about the possible donation from a foreign government, which they say is unconstitutional, violating the emoluments clause.

On Sunday, ABC News reported that the Trump administration is preparing to accept the plane from the royal family of Qatar. Per ABC News, the plane would be available for use by Trump as the White House‘s new Air Force One until shortly before the end of his second term, after which the plane would be transferred to the foundation handling the Trump Presidential Library.

Spokespeople for the White House and Qatari embassy in the US did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Trump has long complained about the status of the current Air Force One and has also criticised Boeing over a contract to build two new Air Force One planes that he said is now running late. In February, Trump told reporters that he is “not happy with Boeing”.

“We gave that contract out a long time ago as a fixed-price contract, and I’m not happy with the fact that it’s taking so long, and we may do something else,” he said at the time. “We may go and buy a plane or get a plane or something.”

Former US ambassador Norm Eisen, executive chair of the Democracy Defenders Fund, who was the chief White House ethics lawyer from 2009 to 2011 and who administered the foreign emoluments clause, said he would never have allowed such a transfer, given the ethics questions it raises over Trump’s connection to the Qatari royal family.

“It’s so plain what’s going on here – they want to put a $400 million aircraft in the hands of Trump to scratch his itch,” he said.

Eisen emphasised that this would probably be the largest gift given to a US president by a foreign government in modern history.