On Monday, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) appeared on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360, commenting on President Donald Trump’s acceptance of a $400 million luxury jet from Qatar, labeling it as “graft, pure and simple.”
Cooper asked, “Senator, the president might argue that someone who turns down a free 747 is a world-class loser. What do you think this deal really represents?”
Van Hollen responded, “It’s graft, plain and simple. The core reason we uphold the Constitution is to safeguard the nation from those trying to curry favor with the President of the United States. That’s precisely what this transaction boils down to, benefiting the President and his family personally.”
He added, “Even when individuals travel abroad and receive the smallest gifts or trinkets, there’s a protocol to ensure those items are checked for hidden surveillance devices or security threats.”
