Qatar prime minister says $400m gifts are ‘normal’ between friends, following Trump jet criticism
The prime minister of Qatar has again defended the decision to gift President Donald Trump a $400 million luxury aircraft, saying that such exchanges between friendly nations wereare “normal.”
Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani dismissed accusations that the move was being used by Qatar to curry favor with the president and his administration for some kind of payoff in the future.
It comes after the White House announced that Trump would be accepting the aircraft, described as a “flying palace” due to its luxurious interior, from the Qatari royal family as a replacement for Air Force One.
The announcement has ignited controversy and triggered ethics complaints at home that cast a long shadow over the president’s visit to the Middle East last week.
Speaking at the Qatar Economic Forum on Tuesday, Al-Thani said a “lot of controversy has been created” out of what he called “an exchange between two countries,” adding that no business was being done “under the table.”
“Our intention is to have a very clear exchange that the U.S. is in need for…To accelerate a temporary Air Force One,” he said. “Qatar has the ability to provide this, we stepped up.”
He added: “A lot of nations have gifted the U.S. many things,” before appearing to make a joking reference to the Statue of Liberty – which was given to America by the French in 1884.
Trump previously insisted throughout his trip to the Gulf that the plane was a present from one of America’s key regional allies, describing it as “A GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE” on Truth Social, and saying that only a “stupid person” would have refused it.
His position was reiterated by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday. She described the jet as a “donation to our country,” saying that Qatar’s royal family “has offered to donate this plane to the United States Air Force, where that donation will be accepted according to all legal and ethical obligations.”
At his forum remarks on Tuesday Al-Thani echoed the White House’s sentiment, saying the transaction is being done with “full transparency and very legally,” and was simply part of the long-standing cooperative relationship cooperation between Qatar and the U.S.
He said that allegations of bribery were unfair efforts to sully his country’s image.
The U.S. Constitution’s emoluments clause prohibits any government official from accepting gifts from “any King, Prince or foreign State.” It’s unclear if the aircraft would be a gift to the U.S. or to Trump since it was initially reported it would go to Trump’s own presidential library at the end of his term.
Beyond the constitutional ban, gifts are “designed to create good feelings for the recipient and to get some kind of reciprocity,” Richard Briffault, a Columbia Law School professor who specializes in government ethics, told NPR. “The thing that [Trump] can give, of course, is public policy — weapons deals or whatever.”
Trump also has personal business dealings in Qatar. The Trump Organization last month announced a deal to build a luxury golf resort in Qatar.
“Clearly he [Trump] is trying to make money there, and that puts us in an uncomfortable situation,” said Jordan Libowitz, spokesperson for the nonprofit watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. “Is America’s best interest being served, or is it the best interests of the Trump Organization?”
CNN reported Tuesday that it was the Trump administration that had originally approached Qatar about the possibility of acquiring one of its Boeing 747 jumbo jets. The outlet cited several unnamed sources.
