The Department of Defense just accepted a $400 million jet from Qatar as a gift to be used as the new Air Force One. But is it really a gift to the DoD? Shortly after Donald Trump’s term ends, the jet will change ownership and become property of the Trump presidential library foundation. This jet will likely undergo a massive rebuild to upgrade it to the standards needed to be used as Air Force One that will cost hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars and take at least a year to complete. Then in 2029 the DoD will gift the jet to Trump’s private foundation. How was it determined legal that the DoD is allowed to gift a $400-million-plus jet from Qatar to the president’s foundation?
Will future presidents be allowed to gift DoD jets or other military property in excess of $400 million to a private foundation of their choosing? Will it become normal for presidents to look for deals where their own private foundation can be enriched by gifts that originated in a foreign country, all without congressional oversight? This is a blatant violation of the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution that was written to prevent foreign influence and corruption among our leaders by preventing them from receiving gifts like this from foreign nations.
Ben Mullen
Saugus
