On Sunday, Representative Richie Torres (D-N.Y.) urged an ethical investigation into the Trump administration’s proposal to accept luxury jets from the Qatari government for temporary use as Air Force One.
In a communication to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), Deputy Inspector of the Department of Defense (DOD), and the Office of Government Ethics (OGE), Torres described the extravagant plane—valued at approximately $400 million—as “the most valuable gift awarded to the president.”
“Americans are witnessing what can only be called ‘flying gifts’ in real time,” he noted in his letter.
Torres took issue with what he termed the “Justice Department’s seal of approval for transactions that clearly infringe upon both constitutional recognition and the emoluments clause.”
“Even President Trump doesn’t overstep the law, let alone the Constitution,” he added.
He expressed further concern regarding the origins of the gifts.
“As troubling as the gift itself, it’s the identity of the benefactor that raises alarms. Qatar is not a neutral player internationally and has a deeply concerning history of supporting terrorist organizations with American blood on their hands,” Torres stated in the letter.
“In a cruel irony, the Air Force could share something in common with Hamas: funding from Qatar,” he remarked.
His comments were in response to an ABC News report indicating that Trump planned to accept Qatar’s royal family’s extravagant Boeing 747-8 as Air Force One for the remainder of his term, after which it would be transferred to the Trump Presidential Library, according to an unnamed source familiar with the deal.
In his letter, Torres called for an “immediate ethics review” of the gift, asserting, “We will issue a formal advisory opinion on whether the gift violates federal ethics regulations and the emoluments clause. We recommend policy reforms to prevent the conversion of foreign gifts into personal property by the current or former president.”
Trump confirmed on Sunday that his administration intended to temporarily accept the aircraft as a gift, stressing that the Department of Defense would be involved in “very public and transparent deals.”
In a statement to News Nation, White House spokesperson Caroline Leavitt did not verify transaction details but reiterated, “Gifts from foreign governments are always accepted in full compliance with all applicable laws. President Trump’s administration is dedicated to complete transparency.”
