A recent Harvard Cap/Harris poll released on Monday revealed that many voters are uneasy about President Trump’s acceptance of jet planes from Qatar.
According to the poll, 62% of voters believe the acceptance of the $400 million luxury Boeing 747 from the Qatari government raises serious ethical concerns regarding corruption, while 35% view it as a “U.S. victory.”
The data also shows a divide among party lines: 85% of Democrats feel it raises ethical issues, while only 15% see it as a “U.S. victory.” Interestingly, 40% still harbor ethical concerns, with 60% stating it was beneficial for the U.S.
This comes after Trump indicated earlier this month that he was set to accept Qatar’s Boeing 747-8 Jumbo Luxury Jet. The jet is to be presented to the Pentagon before officially becoming part of the Trump Presidential Library at the end of his term.
Concerns have been raised not only by Democrats but also by some Republican lawmakers about the acceptance of such a gift. Several Republicans have noted that the jets are not truly free, given the extensive and costly modifications required for them to be operationally suitable for the Air Force. Furthermore, safety issues surrounding the jet have also been highlighted.
In response to the criticism, Trump defended the acceptance of the jet, calling the bipartisan backlash a “radical left tale.” “I just want to say that it was a radical left story,” Trump stated in an interview with Brett Byer of Abu Dhabi’s Fox News during a diplomatic visit to the Middle East this week. “The people here want me to pay $1 billion to show you how crazy it is.”
“I did quite a bit,” he added, elaborating on his position.
Trump insisted he wouldn’t personally profit from the jet, claiming it’s a gift to the U.S. government and will be outdated by the time it reaches the presidential library.
The Harvard Cap/Harris Voting Survey was carried out between May 14 and May 15, collecting responses from 1,903 registered voters. Participants were recruited via opt-in web panel sampling, and the margin of error for the total sample is plus or minus 2.2 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.
