U.S. President Donald Trump refuted his ethical questions about his plan to accept planes as a gift from the Catari royal family, saying it would be “stupid” to reject a generous offer.
The $400 million luxury American aircraft will be equipped as Air Force One and is one of the most valuable gifts ever made by the U.S. government. News of the proposal has drawn direct criticism from Democrats and advocates of good administration, who warned that it is a conflict of interest that could affect the president’s decision.
Trump said the Boeing 747-8 will eventually donate to his presidential library (his administration’s repository housing research materials) and that he had no plans to use it for personal reasons after leaving the office.
Trump told reporters before traveling to the Middle East.
“I mean, I'm probably a stupid guy to say, 'No, we don't want a free, very expensive plane.'”
The Republican president attributes our help in defending the country in the region, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, all of which have stopped on this week's itinerary.
Trump also said accepting it was a practical decision, and he was disappointed that Boeing had spent a long time on a new Air Force aircraft commissioned during his first term as president.
Critics say it may be unconstitutional
The proposal critics say it is immoral and may be unconstitutional.
Democratic Senators Brian Schatz, Chris Murphy, Cory Booker and Chris Coons said in a statement that Trump's acceptance of the gift would create a clear conflict of interest, raise serious national security issues and cause foreign influence.
Rep. Joe Courtney, a senior Democrat on the House Subcommittee of the Maritime Force and Projection Forces, said it would disperse the U.S. Air Force’s efforts to speed up the delivery of the actual New Air Force One fleet.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said the legal details surrounding donations are still being formulated and the Trump administration is not concerned about what Qataris might ask for in return.
