Qatar’s Plane Gift To Trump — A Bad Deal

It’s impractical, expensive, and has bad optics. In my earlier article on the potential Trump-Qatar executive airliner deal, I gave Team Trump the benefit of the doubt. I support Trump, in large part, because he thinks and acts outside the box.

If I didn’t do that I’d be in perpetual outrage or counter outrage mode. And that’s just unhealthy. It can also interfere with good judgment.

Too many on the left and right scream in outrage at the drop of a hat. And this plane deal is no different.

So, I played it down the middle, looking at it in a neutral way. As always, there are pros and cons to any shocking new Trump plan.

And I discussed both.

I also prefer to wait because Trump often suggests wild things to test the waters, before refining, changing, or dropping them altogether.

And new information always affects the equation.

That being said, I’m revisiting the idea of Qatar gifting a 747 luxury jet to the Defense Department for possible use by President Trump as Air Force One, and its later donations to the Trump Presidential Library.

The gift President Trump calls a great deal, because it’s supposedly free.

And while I’m still not reflexively outraged by the idea, as many are on both sides, I now see it as a net negative for Trump, MAGA, and the presidency.

If he is serious, and it’s not mostly a ploy to pressure Boeing to get their long-delayed Air Force One ready before Trump leaves office, he should probably reconsider taking the Qatari offer.

While, to me, no specific issue makes the deal wrong, the combination of issues makes it a bad idea, and even worse, a bad deal. (RELATED: American Homecoming: Terror Group Offers Unexpected Olive Branch Amid Peace Talks)

Unlike others, my doubts are less ethical and legal than practical, financial, and security.

Of course, the legal and ethical are still factors, and optics also plays a role.

So why is this such a bad deal?

1. Practicality — cost, time, security, and capability. It is becoming increasingly clear that bringing the Qatari 747 to U.S. presidential standards will be more expensive and time consuming than some may have thought.

Ensuring the plane is free of surveillance or tracking devices is the first concern. There are lots of ways and places to hide devices on huge airliners.

Then there is quality control for structural integrity, airworthiness, safety, and security, for a presidential aircraft.

There is also the issue of retrofitting secure communications suites, defensive measures, and EMP shielding for protection during attack or nuclear war.

All these things will take many months, if not years, to complete. So, regardless of the other concerns, this plane may not even be ready to be Air Force One before 2028 anyway.

And it will be very expensive. Especially considering it will only be an interim or temporary presidential aircraft. This alone should be a deal breaker.

2. National Security and Optics — gift from a kingdom friendly to Islamist terrorists and U.S. enemies.

While many consider Qatar a terror supporting and financing state, the U.S. still has good relations with the tiny Gulf state, including having major U.S. bases there.

We understand the Qataris play both sides, and act accordingly.

Still, the idea and optics of a U.S. president accepting such a massive gift, even if nominally for the Defense Department, from an uber wealthy Gulf state with questionable ties, is a very bad look. And can make Trump appear beholden to the Qatar royal family.

This is the issue at the forefront of right wing MAGA criticism. And it is valid.

3. Legal, ethical — precedent, spirit of the law, appearance of impropriety. These are the issues that the Democrats are screaming about most.

Is it legal? Is it ethical? Does it set a horrible precedent? While it may be legal depending on how the deal is structured, it will never be clear cut. And partly due to the nature of the gift and the givers, it will always be suspect ethically.

And this goes back to optics and the appearance of undue influence and impropriety. It will also set yet another bad precedent, following the horrible ones set by the Clintons, Bidens, and Obamas becoming filthy rich from the presidency.

The fact that Trump’s Attorney General Pam Bondi was once a lobbyist for Qatar only makes things look worse.

So, bottom line, the overall costs to this deal outweigh any perceived benefits. In terms Trump best understands, considering all these factors, this is just a bad deal. Trump should say thanks, but no thanks to a Qatari Air Force One.

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