According to a Harvard CAPS/Harris poll released Monday, 62% of U.S. voters say they are concerned about President Donald Trump's acceptance of a Qatari jet plane.
Qatar offered to gift Trump a luxury Boeing 747-8 that the U.S. could use as Air Force One while new versions of the plane are under construction by Boeing.
Trump has defended the idea as a fiscally smart move for the United States. But his critics have questioned what would amount to a president accepting a valuable gift from a foreign government, calling it "naked corruption" and "a grave national security threat."
The poll, conducted May 14-15 among 1,903 registered voters, found that 62% of voters said the gift "raises ethical concerns about corruption," while 35% said the gift is "a win for the U.S."
Some Republicans also have raised concerns about the jet.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., on Sunday said the pending transfer of the jet "detracts from" what he saw as Trump's "largely successful" recent Middle East trip and "gives the appearance of a conflict of interest."
Former Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday that Trump should turn down the gift, citing national security concerns.
"Qatar has a long history of playing both sides," Pence told NBC's "Meet the Press." "The very idea that we would accept an Air Force One from Qatar, I think, is inconsistent with our security, with our intelligence needs ... I think it's just a bad idea, and my hope is the president will think better of it."
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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