Trump’s acceptance of Qatar jet reward is ‘definition of corruption’, senator says

Donald Trump’s acceptance of a $400m Boeing jet from Qatar is the “definition of corruption”, a number one Democrat stated on Sunday, as a number of senior Republicans joined in a bipartisan fusillade of complaint and fear over the luxurious reward.

Chris Murphy, a Democratic senator for Connecticut, condemned the “flying grift” on NBC’s Meet the Press as he assailed the president’s shuttle to a number of Gulf states this week that incorporated a prevent in Qatar.

“Why did he choose these three countries for his first major foreign trip? It’s not because these are our most important allies or the most important countries in the world,” he stated of Trump’s seek advice from to the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

“It’s because these are the three countries willing to pay him off. Every single one of these countries is giving Trump money, the plane from Qatar, an investment in his cryptocurrency scam from the UAE, and they are asking for national security concessions in return.

“This is the definition of corruption. Foreign governments putting money in the president’s pocket and then the US giving them national security concessions that hurt our own security.”

Rand Paul, a Republican US senator for Kentucky, and chair of his chamber’s place of origin safety committee, instructed ABC’s This Week that the reward of the jet “at least gives the appearance of a conflict of interest”.

And Mike Pence, Trump’s vice-president all through his first Oval Office time period, stated it used to be “inconsistent with our security” all through an look on Meet the Press during which he identified Qatar have been up to now accused of financing world terrorism.

Trump has insisted he can be “stupid” to refuse Qatar’s be offering of the jet, which might function the brand new Air Force One earlier than being donated to his presidential library upon his retirement.

But the proposal enraged even shut allies of the president, some calling it the other of Trump’s promise to empty the swamp – and “a stain on the administration”.

Trump lashed out at critics on his Truth Social community on Saturday, claiming the reward used to be to the United States and now not in my view for him.

Murphy instructed NBC that used to be now not true. “The plane is not a gift to the American people,” he stated. “It is going directly to Donald Trump.

“That library will take a decade to build, and so once he leaves the White House, until the library is built, he gets to use that plane to fly around all of his billionaire friends while his policies result in millions of Americans losing their healthcare and having to pay higher costs.”

Pence stated Trump must flip down the be offering.

“Qatar has a long history of playing both sides. They support Hamas,” he stated. “They supported Al-Qaida. Qatar has actually financed pro-Hamas protests on American campuses across the US, so the very idea that we would accept an Air Force One from Qatar I think is inconsistent with our security, with our intelligence needs.

“There are profound issues, the potential for intelligence gathering, the need to ensure the president is safe and secure as he travels around the world, and of course there are very real constitutional issues. The constitution prohibits public officials from accepting a present from a foreign state.

“It’s just a bad idea and my hope is the president will think better of it.”

Paul stated he may see some way during which the reward can be appropriate – however that Trump had treated the be offering poorly.

“My fear is that it detracts from a largely successful trip where the president is talking about opening up and doing more trade with the Middle East,” he stated.

“I’ve been part of vetoing or trying to veto arms [sales] to Qatar, as well as to Saudi Arabia, over human rights abuses. So could it color the perception of the administration if they have a $400m plane to be more in favor of these things. It at least gives the appearance of a conflict of interest. I don’t think it’s worth the headache.”