Former White House Ethics lawyer Norm Eisen has sharply condemned President Donald Trump’s reported plans to accept a $400 million Boeing 747-8 jet from Qatari royal family as “illegal and unconstitutional,” Common Dreams reports (via Financial Times + The Daily Beast). This proposed gift, intended to temporarily replace Air Force One, has caused widespread bipartisan outrage regarding potential violations of the emoluments clause of the Constitution, which prohibits federal officials from receiving gifts from foreign nations without first receiving approval from Congress. CBS News, Financial Times and The Washington Post all raised similar concerns over this proposal. President Trump defended the acquisition, posting to social media to assert that the Department of Defense would receive the aircraft for free as part of their plan to replace Air Force One with something newer. He stressed the deal’s transparency while accusing critics of wanting to pay top dollar. This story originally appeared in The Daily Beast, Financial Times and Guardian on August 21, 2018. +5 Ethics experts remain skeptical. Eisen, who served under President Barack Obama, asserts that accepting such lavish gifts from foreign governments sets a dangerous precedent and undermines the integrity of presidency. The Washington Post Qatar has confirmed to The Washington Post that discussions regarding an aircraft remain active but emphasized no final decisions have been reached. Ali Al-Ansari, media attache at Qatar’s Washington embassy stated, “the matter remains under review by respective legal departments, and no decision has been taken yet.” CBS News +3 Financial Times | Common Dreams +3 The controversy has also drawn harsh criticism from some of President Donald Trump’s staunchest supporters, such as Laura Loomer of Conservative Commentator who voiced displeasure with Qatar reportedly funding terror organizations such as Hamas and Hezbollah, reported The Daily Beast and Financial Times respectively. Democratic lawmakers are calling for investigations into this gift, with Representative Ritchie Torres of New York seeking an immediate ethics review and formal advisory opinion to determine if its violation of federal ethics regulations or the Emoluments Clause was illegal. Axios, Reuters, Financial Times, CBS News all provided similar reports. As the debate rages on, this situation demonstrates the complexity of foreign gifts to U.S. officials and highlights the necessity of adhering to constitutional safeguards that prevent undue influence. The Guardian This article is based on information available as of May 12, 2025.
