Some Senate Democrats are maneuvering to force a vote targeting the $400 million luxury jet that President Donald Trump has said he will accept from Qatar to become the next Air Force One.
The Democrats are citing a violation of the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution.
Foreign Relations Committee Sens. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, Chris Coons, D-Del., and Cory Booker, D-N.J., released a statement Monday asserting that elected officials, including presidents, "cannot accept large gifts from foreign governments without consent from Congress."
It was reported Sunday that Trump is poised to accept a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet as a gift from the ruling family of Qatar during his trip to the Middle East this week. Trump later Sunday called Democrats "world class losers" for their resistance to the idea, which he said would be a "very public and transparent transaction."
The four Senate Democrats said in Monday's statement, "Air Force One is more than just a plane — it's a symbol of the presidency and of the United States itself. Any president who accepts this kind of gift, valued at $400 million, from a foreign government creates a clear conflict of interest, raises serious national security questions, invites foreign influence, and undermines public trust in our government. No one — not even the president — is above the law."
They added, "This week, we will ask the Senate to vote to reiterate a basic principle: no one should use public service for personal gain through foreign gifts."
Separately, Schatz said in a post the Senate action "should be a 100-0 vote."
"We have laws for this very reason, and the Constitution clearly requires Congress to weigh in on accepting large foreign gifts of this kind," he posted on X.
Schatz added: "You don't need a law degree to know that Trump accepting a $400 million luxury plane from a foreign government is wildly corrupt."
The Qatari government on Sunday acknowledged discussions between the two countries about "the possible transfer" of a plane to be used temporarily as Trump's Air Force One, but denied that the jet "is being gifted" or that a final decision had been made.
But Trump on Monday addressed the plane with reporters during the signing of an executive order at the White House.
"You should be embarrassed asking that question," he said in response to a reporter asking about accepting the jet as a personal gift. "They're giving us a free jet. I could say no, no, no, don't give us; I wanna pay you $1 billion or $400 million or whatever it is, or I could say thank you very much."
Information from Reuters was used in this report.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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