House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) has criticized former President Trump, dubbing him a “wannabe king” after news broke that Trump intends to accept a lavish jet from the Qatari government.
In a post on X, Jeffries stated, “The wannabe king accepts corrupt gifts from foreign powers. He is not president.” This follows a report indicating that Trump plans to receive a Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet, courtesy of Qatar’s royal family.
Trump confirmed that this extravagant gift is meant for the Pentagon and could be used as Air Force transportation until he leaves office, after which it would be relocated to the Trump Presidential Library.
Jeffries suggested that Congress should act in light of these developments, emphasizing that the issue of banning members from trading stocks might need urgent attention this year.
Other Democratic leaders have joined in the criticism, with Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Chris Coons (D-Del.) advocating for a vote on a measure to prevent the use of public resources for personal gain through foreign gifts. Additionally, Rep. Richie Torres (D-N.Y.) has called for an ethics review concerning the plan to accept such luxury planes.
In his defense, Trump dismissed the criticism, stating it would be “silly” to refuse such a gift. “I think it’s a great gesture from Qatar. I’m very grateful for it. I could act foolish and say, ‘No, we don’t want a very expensive plane for free,’ but I thought it was a great gesture,” he told reporters.
Trump noted that Qatar was informed about the new Air Force delivery and maintained that the country values the protection offered by the U.S. “If it wasn’t for us, they probably wouldn’t exist now,” he argued.
