Donald Trump officially assumes luxury pilot from Qatar

Despite the sharp criticism, the government of US President Donald Trump accepts an expensive plane as a gift from the lead in Qatar. The US Department of Defense announced that in accordance with all rules and regulations, a Boeing 747 machine, which is to be upgraded for Trump as a government plane Air Force One. When retrofitting the jumbojet, appropriate security measures for the transport of the US president would be ensured.

According to reports, the aircraft has a value of around $ 400 million (currently 355 million euros). The expensive gift from a foreign partner raises legal and ethical questions. Democrats speak of “blank corruption” and have threatened with protests in the US parliament.

The plans had already become public days ago-shortly before a trip by the President to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The idea of ​​the gift plane caused great outrage. While the Qatar’s side was silent for longer, Trump spoke bluntly about the project and vehemently defended this. For several days he argued that it would be nonsensical and even “stupid” to strike such an offer for a “free, very expensive plane” – after all, it only saves money to the American tax payers.

During his Middle East trip, the US President also complained that the current government aviator of the United States was already very old. The states of the golf region, on the other hand, would have new Boeing. The government machine in the USA also looks “much smaller” and “less impressive”. “We are the United States of America, I think we should have the most impressive plane,” he said: “Why shouldn’t I accept the gift?”

Katar’s government had also rejected criticism. It was a “very simple government to government to government,” said Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al Thani to the broadcaster CNN. It is a normal “transaction”. He does not understand the many discussions about the topic.

According to experts, the conversion of the jumbojet to the new government plane is likely to become very expensive due to the high security requirements and be very lengthy. The US government has already ordered new planes from Boeing, but the delivery is delayed.

Critics have big objections. They refer to the constitution and the claim not to go into the guilt of other states as a government not to make themselves dependent on gifts or favors. In US media there was also talk of the fact that after the end of Trump’s second term in office, the aircraft should not be in service to the government, but could remain with it. At first there was no secure information.

The democratic minority leader in the US Senate, Chuck Schumer, spoke of “bare corruption” and a “serious threat to national security”. The possible gift is “so corrupt that even (Kremlin boss Vladimir) Putin would rub his eyes,” he said.

As a consequence, Schumer announced that it would block all political nominations for the Ministry of Justice in the Senate. The background is reports that Justice Minister Pam Bondi is said to have personally agreed to the controversial deal. Schumer demanded that Bondi have to explain why the project does not violate ethics rules. According to the US media, Bondi worked as a registered lobbyist for the Qatarian government before her appointment.

The Democrats in Trump’s Senate cannot prevent personal details – the Republicans have the majority in the Congress Chamber. However, you can significantly slow the procedures with parliamentary angle trains.

At the same time, Schumer criticized that this case was “only the tip of the iceberg”. Qatar and other golf states have invested billions in business relationships with Trump’s companies for months – apparently to gain political influence. He alluded to various shops of the Trump family in the Golf region. Trump’s real estate group, which the sons lead Eric and Don Junior, is very active there.

Shortly before the president’s Middle East trip, the Trump organization had announced new projects in the Golf region: the first Trump Hotel in Dubai, a golf club in Qatar. For the Saudi port city of Dschidda, the construction of a Trump-Rollkenkratz was announced last year.

Also when it comes to cryptocurrencies, Trump’s sons and their business partners – including the son of Trump’s special sent Steve Witkoff – made a cooperation in the Middle East shortly before the presidential trip, in which a state -based fund of the Emirate also mixed up. Trump claimed during his trip when asked that he didn’t know anything about the crypto project.