The issue of President Donald Trump receiving gifts from foreign countries has once again become the focus of attention, this time with information that he is considering the Qatari government’s offer of a luxury airplane.
This plane is worth approximately $400 million. According to President Trump, this is not a gift for him personally, but for the Pentagon, for temporary use as Air Force One to replace new Boeing aircraft that are delayed.
However, this plan immediately raises major questions about constitutionality, particularly regarding the “emoluments clause” in the US Constitution. This clause stipulates that no one holding office in the US government (including the President) may receive any gifts, positions, or titles from royalty, princes, or foreign countries without the consent of Congress.
Democrats and critics argue that President Trump’s use of and benefit from the aircraft while in office is tantamount to a personal gift, and therefore requires congressional approval. Some Republican lawmakers and experts have also expressed ethical and security concerns.
Specific details of the agreement have not been fully disclosed, making it difficult for legal experts consulted by ABC News to draw a final conclusion as to whether it violates the emoluments clause or other federal regulations.
According to sources, after being donated to the Department of Defense, the aircraft will be renovated for use as Air Force One for the remainder of the term. After Mr. Trump leaves office, the aircraft may be transferred to his presidential library. Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House counsel David Warrington have reportedly concluded that gifting the aircraft with the condition of transferring ownership to the presidential library before the end of the term is “legal.”
Speaking on Fox News, President Trump wondered why he shouldn’t accept this gift for the country when the US is still “giving away” so much elsewhere.
Experts stress the need to clarify the details of the agreement. Dan Weiner from the Brennan Center for Justice said that the President using the aircraft while in office, and then it going to a museum over which he has control, is a different story. He compares it to a foreign country donating valuable paintings to the White House, which must remain there to comply with the law.
Weiner also argues that using the aircraft as an official aircraft may not violate the emoluments clause if it continues to be used as a government aircraft after Mr. Trump leaves office. However, if Mr. Trump has personal use of the aircraft after his term ends, “I don’t see a legal way for Trump to retain the aircraft for personal purposes without congressional approval,” he said.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the legal details are still being worked out and affirmed that all government gift activities comply with the law with maximum transparency.
The Qatari side also confirmed that it is considering transferring the aircraft to the US Department of Defense for “temporary” use as Air Force One.
Professor Jessica Tillipman from George Washington University, an expert on international corruption cases, noted that President Trump has faced numerous emoluments clause questions related to overseas business interests in his first term but has never been found in violation. She suggested that the Supreme Court’s ruling making it more difficult to prosecute federal officials for corruption may have emboldened him with this gift offer. According to her, political pressure from the public and the remaining tools of Congress will play an important role.
Reactions in Congress are clear. Democratic leaders called it “unconstitutional” and “bribery” and demanded an investigation. Republican leaders were more cautious but admitted that there were “many questions” about legality and safety that needed to be answered. House Speaker Mike Johnson said that the intent of the emoluments clause was to prevent personal gifts for personal purposes, and this was a gift for the United States, but he would let the administration handle it.
Despite many conflicting opinions, the issue of the airplane gift from Qatar continues to heat up the debate about the ethical and legal rules related to the President and relations with foreign countries, according to ABC News on 05/15/2025.
