Qatar luxury jet gift clouds Trump trip to Mideast

What happened

President Donald Trump is leaving Monday for a four-day trip to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, his first major overseas trip since taking office. Trump Sunday confirmed reports he expects Qatar to donate a 747-8 luxury jetliner as a "GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE," hours after a Qatari spokesperson said such reports were "inaccurate" and the "possible transfer of an aircraft for temporary use as Air Force One" was still "under review" by U.S. and Qatari lawyers. The $400 million aircraft would be donated to Trump's presidential library foundation before he left office, several news organizations reported.

Who said what

Trump, openly frustrated with Boeing's delays in finishing new Air Force One models, spent more than an hour touring the Qatari 747-8, "which is so opulently configured it is known as 'a flying palace,'" when it was parked at West Palm Beach International Airport in February, ABC News said. The U.S. government would pay a contractor to upgrade the gifted jet for presidential use.

The 747 would be "one of the biggest foreign gifts ever received by the U.S. government," The New York Times said, and it appears Trump "would have use of the plane even after his presidency ends." The arrangement raised significant ethical concerns and, according to some legal experts, would clearly violate the Constitution's emoluments clause. "This sure looks like a foreign country that the president has personal business dealings in giving the president a $400 million gift right before he meets with their head of state," said Jordan Libowitz, a spokesperson for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, per Reuters.

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"Nothing says 'America First' like Air Force One, brought to you by Qatar," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said. "It's not just bribery, it's premium foreign influence with extra legroom." White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said "any gift given by a foreign government is always accepted in full compliance with all applicable laws."

What next?

Trump's Mideast trip is "expected to focus heavily on business deals and new investments from the oil-rich region," where his sons have recently presided over "deals involving the Trump family's real estate and cryptocurrency ventures," The Washington Post said. "Unusually, Trump does not plan to visit Israel during the trip," a "snub to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu."