Posted on 05/19/2025 9:31:43 AM PDT by RandFan
President Trump has returned from the Middle East to mounting questions about whether it’s appropriate for him to accept a luxury Qatari jet to serve as the next Air Force One, including from Republicans increasingly dubious that the move is a smart and worthwhile idea.
Republicans have given the president a wide berth on a multitude of issues throughout his first four months in office as they push to enact his agenda. However, very few are rushing to his defense after he made clear he plans to accept the $400 million gift.
“It’s an unnecessary distraction,” one Senate Republican told The Hill about the GOP conference’s mood about the potential transaction.
Many Republicans believe the gift will not really be free given how long it will take to make the plane safe and secure enough to fly. That will also take a lot of time, leaving some Republicans saying Trump might be lucky to even fly on the plane at all before his term is over.
“This is like a combination of ‘Fixer Upper’ and ‘Pimp My Ride,’” the source said. “It’s going to cost a lot of money.”
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
"There's a lot of ways this could be arranged, but I think what sent up signals that people were concerned about was that it was going to be temporarily part of the government, and then it was going to the president's library when the president retires. So I think all of those things could be fixed, could be corrected. There probably is a perfectly legal way, but right now, it's raised more questions than I think it's worth," Rand Paul said Sunday to ABC News' "This Week" co-anchor Jonathan Karl.
Why weren’t there questions when Clinton received a tricked out helicopter and Kerry received a fancy bizjet?
Getting sick of Rand Paul.
What could be wrong with taking this as a gift?
(((YAWN)))
His name is part of yer nic.
He’s very active lately
The rules obviously don’t apply to demonrats.
The legal way is to use it as an official plane and then donate it to his library….. from what Ive read about such things. This is precisely what Trump has said hed do.
It’s going to the USAF, not Trump.
Effing Republicans. They are the deck chair arrangers. The barbarians are at the gates and Republicans are worried about the Commander’s filigreed chariot.
Any Republicans making an issue out of this is the enemy and needs to be forced to find other work.
I believe Trump will be lucky to even fly on the Boeing new planes before his term is over.
Trump claims L3Harris Technologies will have the Qatari plane overhauled by the Fall.
I see another person needing a brain replacement. Fools, the aircraft was donated to the DOD, as in the Department of Defense.
Got that stop being a democrat an become an informed American/// So sick of these foolish people so quick to believe anything at all especially from the HILL paper not fit to wipe a toilet just another democrat rag an fools believe anything they print AXIOS, WSJ THe Hill, CBS, NBC, ABC are all certified democrat strongholds. Don’t we have enough TREY GOWDYS in this world????
This is a tempest-teapot thing. The US has given trillions of dollars away and someone finally gives us something and everyone has their panties in a knot. The plane is given to the US, not Trump. With the US debt tanking the dollar in foreign markets, we should accept the gift, say “Thanks”, and move on. If Congress wants to get into a snit over this and waste time when they might actually do something for the average US citizen, then we should call them out on it. I just wish they do something productive instead of trying to smear the opposition.
Even if the Qatar 747 was already in the shop and being wrenched on,President Trump would be out of office long after the time it would take L3-Harris to convert the plane to Air Force 1 configuration and deliver it to the White House
“Quid pro quo” comes to mind, but then what single aspect of politics is not so ordered?
Whatever Al Weaver & the Hellish Hill espouses, I ain’t fer it, I’m agin it!
> What could be wrong with taking this as a gift? <
The plane could come with bugs (listening devices). And maybe even with a small bomb. Sure, the plane will be thoroughly swept for such devices. But some of them are quite sophisticated. Can you be sure you’ve got every one?
Beyond that, it’s a sign of weakness. The President of the United States must rely on a Muslim nation for modern transportation. I sure don’t like that. But the Muslims will celebrate it.
Better I think that the USAF find the best plane they’ve got, and bring it up to standards as best they can.
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