Donald Trump: Luxury plane from Qatar causes discontent among supporters

When Donald Trump (78) arrives in Qatar today, even some of his most loyal supporters will be critical. Even staunch Trump fans disagree with his openness to accepting an expensive gift from the Emirate of Qatar, a luxury aircraft that he intends to use as his new presidential aircraft. There's talk of disappointment, shabby behavior, even "bribery."

Trump influencer Laura Loomer (31), who is said to have a strong influence on the president, started the discussion. In a series of online posts, the 31-year-old expressed her "very disappointment" that her role model, Trump, plans to use a $400 million luxury jet from Qatar as his presidential aircraft. Accepting the gift from Qatar is a "stain" on Trump's clean record, she complained on the online service X.

Podcaster Ben Shapiro (41) was even more explicit. The Jewish author and lawyer, who supports Trump's MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement, criticized the Emirate of Qatar for supporting, among other things, the radical Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip. "This is not America First," he said, alluding to the oft-quoted presidential slogan. This "shabby" behavior must stop if the US president wants to be successful.

A luxury jet worth $400 million is "not a gift, but a bribe," warned journalist Batya Ungar-Sargon (44) of the US magazine "Newsweek," who describes herself as a "left-wing" MAGA supporter. It "turns my stomach that Qatar, as a state sponsor of terrorism, has become a major player on the world stage," she wrote on X.

This is the first time in Trump's second term that such critical statements have come from his own camp. The president himself, however, refuses to acknowledge any wrongdoing: Before leaving for the Gulf states, he spoke of a "great gesture" from Qatar and emphasized that he would be "stupid" to turn down the "free, very expensive plane." After all, the gift would save the government a lot of money to replace the two outdated presidential planes in the Air Force One fleet.

Although the government has already ordered a replacement from US aircraft manufacturer Boeing , Trump recently expressed dissatisfaction with delivery delays. Furthermore, the Qatari Boeing 747-8 apparently suits Trump's taste for luxury. It's a "flying palace," reports ABC News. The Washington Post writes that the jumbo jet offers two bedrooms and bathrooms, nine restrooms, a private office, and numerous leather seating areas.

The problem: A clause of the U.S. Constitution prohibits presidents from accepting such favors. No official may "accept, without the consent of Congress, any gift, emolument, office, or title of any kind from any king, prince, or foreign state," as it states. After his first term (2017 to 2021), Trump was sued in three cases for violating this clause, but these actions were unsuccessful.

In order to dispel the accusation of bribery, presidential spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt (27) simply interpreted the expensive gift from Qatar as a “donation” to the US Department of Defense.

The minority leader of the Democrats in the US Senate, Chuck Schumer (74), reacted sarcastically: Qatar's gift was "not just a bribe, but first-class foreign influence with extra legroom."

Even within the US government, there are apparently critical voices. US media reports that the plane from Qatar is viewed as a security risk . If Trump truly intends to use it, it would have to be completely disassembled and at least checked for bugs.