US Defence Department accepts luxury jet from Qatar
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here BREAKING Man's body found in flooded home in NSW US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has accepted a luxury Boeing 747 jet from Qatar for President Donald Trump to use as Air Force One, the Pentagon said, despite ongoing questions about the ethics and legality of taking the expensive gift from a foreign nation. The Defence Department will "work to ensure proper security measures" on the plane to make it safe for use by the president, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said on Wednesday (Thursday AEST). He added that the plane was accepted "in accordance with all federal rules and regulations." Trump has defended the gift, which came up during his recent Middle East trip, as a way to save tax dollars. A Boeing 747 with the colour scheme of planes used by the Qatari royal family is seen on Friday, May 2, 2025 at San Antonio International Airport in San Antonio, Texas. (Brandon Lingle/The San Antonio Express-News via AP, File) (AP) "Why should our military, and therefore our taxpayers, be forced to pay hundreds of millions of Dollars when they can get it for FREE," Trump posted on his social media site during the trip. Others, however, have said Trump's acceptance of an aircraft that has been called a "palace in the sky" is a violation of the Constitution's prohibition on foreign gifts. Democrats have been united in outrage, and even some of the Republican president's GOP allies in Congress have expressed concerns. "This unprecedented action is a stain on the office of the presidency and cannot go unanswered," said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer. "Until Americans get transparency on this shady deal, which apparently includes a corrupt plot for Donald Trump to keep the plane at his library after leaving office, I'll continue to hold all Department of Justice political nominees." Schumer has introduced legislation that would prohibit any foreign aircraft from being used as Air Force One and forbid use of taxpayer money to modify or restore the aircraft. But on Wednesday, Republican Senator Roger Marshall objected when Schumer asked for a vote, thus blocking it. He did not offer an explanation for his objection. US President Donald Trump jokes with Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad al Thani as they attend a state dinner at the Lusail Palace on May 14, 2025, in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by) (Getty) Critics also have noted the need to retrofit the plane to meet security requirements, which would be costly and take time. "Far from saving money, this unconstitutional action will not only cost our nation its dignity, but it will force taxpayers to waste over $1 billion in taxpayer dollars to overhaul this particular aircraft when we currently have not one, but two fully operational and fully capable Air Force One aircraft," said Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth. She said during a hearing on Tuesday that it is a "dangerous course of action" for the US to accept the aircraft from the Qatari ruling family. US Air Force Secretary Troy Meink told senators that Hegseth has ordered the service to start planning how to update the jet to meet needed standards and acknowledged that the plane will require "significant" modifications. The US Air Force, in a statement, said it is preparing to award a contract to modify a Boeing 747 aircraft, but that any details are classified. US Senator Tammy Duckworth says American taxpayers will have to fork out more than $1 billion to overhaul the plane. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) (AP) Trump was asked about the move on Wednesday while he was meeting in the Oval Office with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. "They are giving the United States Air Force a jet," Trump said, bristling at being questioned about the gift by a reporter. Trump said it was given "not to me, to the United States Air Force, so they could help us out" and noted that "Boeing's a little bit late, unfortunately." Trump has presented no national security imperative for a swift upgrade rather than waiting for Boeing to finish new Air Force One jets that have been in the works for years. He has tried to tamp down some of the opposition by saying he wouldn't fly around in the aircraft when his term ends. Instead, he said, the plane would be donated to a future presidential library, similar to how the Boeing 707 used by former president Ronald Reagan was decommissioned and put on display as a museum piece. Donald Trump
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"I don't argue with him about how to build rockets and I wish he wouldn't argue with me about how to craft legislation and pass it," he said on CNBC. Trump had initially stayed quiet while Musk campaigned to torpedo the bill, but broke his silence on Thursday, telling reporters he was "very disappointed" in Musk. "Look, Elon and I had a great relationship. I don't know if we will anymore," he said. The pair then traded barbs on their social media platforms: Trump's Truth Social and Musk's X. "Without me, Trump would have lost the election," wrote Musk, who spent nearly $300 million backing Trump and other Republicans in last year's election. Musk also asserted that Trump's signature import tariffs would push the US into a recession and responded "Yes" to a post on X saying Trump should be impeached. That would be highly unlikely given Trump's Republicans hold majorities in both chambers of Congress. Trump, for his part, suggested he would terminate government contracts with Musk's businesses, which include rocket company SpaceX and its satellite unit Starlink. Musk, whose space business plays a critical role in the US government's space program, responded that he would begin decommissioning SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, which is the only US spacecraft capable of sending astronauts to the International Space Station. He backed off the threat later in the day. Musk had already said he planned to curtail his political spending, and on Tuesday he called for "all politicians who betrayed the American people" to be fired next year. His involvement with the Trump administration has provoked widespread protests at Tesla sites, driving down sales while investors fretted that Musk's attention was too divided. with AP US President Donald Trump is not interested in talking with his former ally Elon Musk, amid a bitter feud over the president's sweeping tax-cut bill, a White House official said, adding that no phone call between the two men is planned for the day. A separate White House official had said earlier that Trump and Musk were going to talk to each other on Friday. "I'm not even thinking about Elon. He's got a problem, the poor guy's got a problem," Trump told CNN on Friday morning. Trump, the world's most powerful leader, and Musk, the world's richest man, battled openly on Thursday in an extraordinary day of hostilities - largely over social media - that marked a stark end to a close alliance. Shares in Musk's Tesla rose 4.5 per cent when markets opened on Friday. In Thursday's session, the stock dived 14 per cent and lost about $150 billion in value, the largest single-day decline in the electric vehicle maker's history. Musk bankrolled a large part of Trump's presidential campaign and was then brought to the White House to head up a controversial effort to downsize the federal workforce and slash spending. The falling-out began brewing days ago when Musk, who left his role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency a week ago, denounced Trump's tax-cut and spending bill. The feud is complicating efforts to pass the bill, which is the president's main demand of the Republican-controlled Congress. Musk has denounced the package, which contains most of Trump's domestic priorities, as a "disgusting abomination" that would add too much to the nation's $36.2 trillion in debt. The package narrowly passed the House of Representatives last month and is now before the Senate, where Republicans say they will make further changes. Nonpartisan analysts say it would add $2.4 trillion in debt over 10 years. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he has been in touch with Musk. "I don't argue with him about how to build rockets and I wish he wouldn't argue with me about how to craft legislation and pass it," he said on CNBC. Trump had initially stayed quiet while Musk campaigned to torpedo the bill, but broke his silence on Thursday, telling reporters he was "very disappointed" in Musk. "Look, Elon and I had a great relationship. I don't know if we will anymore," he said. The pair then traded barbs on their social media platforms: Trump's Truth Social and Musk's X. "Without me, Trump would have lost the election," wrote Musk, who spent nearly $300 million backing Trump and other Republicans in last year's election. Musk also asserted that Trump's signature import tariffs would push the US into a recession and responded "Yes" to a post on X saying Trump should be impeached. That would be highly unlikely given Trump's Republicans hold majorities in both chambers of Congress. Trump, for his part, suggested he would terminate government contracts with Musk's businesses, which include rocket company SpaceX and its satellite unit Starlink. Musk, whose space business plays a critical role in the US government's space program, responded that he would begin decommissioning SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, which is the only US spacecraft capable of sending astronauts to the International Space Station. He backed off the threat later in the day. Musk had already said he planned to curtail his political spending, and on Tuesday he called for "all politicians who betrayed the American people" to be fired next year. His involvement with the Trump administration has provoked widespread protests at Tesla sites, driving down sales while investors fretted that Musk's attention was too divided. with AP US President Donald Trump is not interested in talking with his former ally Elon Musk, amid a bitter feud over the president's sweeping tax-cut bill, a White House official said, adding that no phone call between the two men is planned for the day. A separate White House official had said earlier that Trump and Musk were going to talk to each other on Friday. "I'm not even thinking about Elon. He's got a problem, the poor guy's got a problem," Trump told CNN on Friday morning. Trump, the world's most powerful leader, and Musk, the world's richest man, battled openly on Thursday in an extraordinary day of hostilities - largely over social media - that marked a stark end to a close alliance. Shares in Musk's Tesla rose 4.5 per cent when markets opened on Friday. In Thursday's session, the stock dived 14 per cent and lost about $150 billion in value, the largest single-day decline in the electric vehicle maker's history. Musk bankrolled a large part of Trump's presidential campaign and was then brought to the White House to head up a controversial effort to downsize the federal workforce and slash spending. The falling-out began brewing days ago when Musk, who left his role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency a week ago, denounced Trump's tax-cut and spending bill. The feud is complicating efforts to pass the bill, which is the president's main demand of the Republican-controlled Congress. Musk has denounced the package, which contains most of Trump's domestic priorities, as a "disgusting abomination" that would add too much to the nation's $36.2 trillion in debt. The package narrowly passed the House of Representatives last month and is now before the Senate, where Republicans say they will make further changes. Nonpartisan analysts say it would add $2.4 trillion in debt over 10 years. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he has been in touch with Musk. "I don't argue with him about how to build rockets and I wish he wouldn't argue with me about how to craft legislation and pass it," he said on CNBC. Trump had initially stayed quiet while Musk campaigned to torpedo the bill, but broke his silence on Thursday, telling reporters he was "very disappointed" in Musk. "Look, Elon and I had a great relationship. I don't know if we will anymore," he said. The pair then traded barbs on their social media platforms: Trump's Truth Social and Musk's X. "Without me, Trump would have lost the election," wrote Musk, who spent nearly $300 million backing Trump and other Republicans in last year's election. Musk also asserted that Trump's signature import tariffs would push the US into a recession and responded "Yes" to a post on X saying Trump should be impeached. That would be highly unlikely given Trump's Republicans hold majorities in both chambers of Congress. Trump, for his part, suggested he would terminate government contracts with Musk's businesses, which include rocket company SpaceX and its satellite unit Starlink. Musk, whose space business plays a critical role in the US government's space program, responded that he would begin decommissioning SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, which is the only US spacecraft capable of sending astronauts to the International Space Station. He backed off the threat later in the day. Musk had already said he planned to curtail his political spending, and on Tuesday he called for "all politicians who betrayed the American people" to be fired next year. His involvement with the Trump administration has provoked widespread protests at Tesla sites, driving down sales while investors fretted that Musk's attention was too divided. with AP US President Donald Trump is not interested in talking with his former ally Elon Musk, amid a bitter feud over the president's sweeping tax-cut bill, a White House official said, adding that no phone call between the two men is planned for the day. A separate White House official had said earlier that Trump and Musk were going to talk to each other on Friday. "I'm not even thinking about Elon. He's got a problem, the poor guy's got a problem," Trump told CNN on Friday morning. Trump, the world's most powerful leader, and Musk, the world's richest man, battled openly on Thursday in an extraordinary day of hostilities - largely over social media - that marked a stark end to a close alliance. Shares in Musk's Tesla rose 4.5 per cent when markets opened on Friday. In Thursday's session, the stock dived 14 per cent and lost about $150 billion in value, the largest single-day decline in the electric vehicle maker's history. Musk bankrolled a large part of Trump's presidential campaign and was then brought to the White House to head up a controversial effort to downsize the federal workforce and slash spending. The falling-out began brewing days ago when Musk, who left his role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency a week ago, denounced Trump's tax-cut and spending bill. The feud is complicating efforts to pass the bill, which is the president's main demand of the Republican-controlled Congress. Musk has denounced the package, which contains most of Trump's domestic priorities, as a "disgusting abomination" that would add too much to the nation's $36.2 trillion in debt. The package narrowly passed the House of Representatives last month and is now before the Senate, where Republicans say they will make further changes. Nonpartisan analysts say it would add $2.4 trillion in debt over 10 years. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he has been in touch with Musk. "I don't argue with him about how to build rockets and I wish he wouldn't argue with me about how to craft legislation and pass it," he said on CNBC. Trump had initially stayed quiet while Musk campaigned to torpedo the bill, but broke his silence on Thursday, telling reporters he was "very disappointed" in Musk. "Look, Elon and I had a great relationship. I don't know if we will anymore," he said. The pair then traded barbs on their social media platforms: Trump's Truth Social and Musk's X. "Without me, Trump would have lost the election," wrote Musk, who spent nearly $300 million backing Trump and other Republicans in last year's election. Musk also asserted that Trump's signature import tariffs would push the US into a recession and responded "Yes" to a post on X saying Trump should be impeached. That would be highly unlikely given Trump's Republicans hold majorities in both chambers of Congress. Trump, for his part, suggested he would terminate government contracts with Musk's businesses, which include rocket company SpaceX and its satellite unit Starlink. Musk, whose space business plays a critical role in the US government's space program, responded that he would begin decommissioning SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, which is the only US spacecraft capable of sending astronauts to the International Space Station. He backed off the threat later in the day. Musk had already said he planned to curtail his political spending, and on Tuesday he called for "all politicians who betrayed the American people" to be fired next year. His involvement with the Trump administration has provoked widespread protests at Tesla sites, driving down sales while investors fretted that Musk's attention was too divided. with AP
The Advertiser
an hour ago
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US job growth slowed in May amid uncertainty about the Trump administration's import tariffs, but solid wage growth should keep the economic expansion on track and potentially allow the Federal Reserve to delay resuming its interest rate cuts. The ebbing labour market momentum reported by the Labor Department on Friday was underscored by sharp downward revisions that showed 95,000 fewer jobs were added in March and April than previously estimated over the two month period. The unemployment rate held steady at 4.2 per cent for the third consecutive month because 625,000 people dropped out of the labour force, suggesting a lack of confidence in the jobs market and offsetting a decline in household employment. Recent surveys have pointed to consumers becoming less optimistic about their prospects of finding a job in the event of being laid off. Economists say President Donald Trump's flip-flopping on import tariffs has hampered businesses' ability to plan ahead and hire more workers. Opposition to Trump's tax-cut and spending bill from conservative Republicans in the US Senate and tech billionaire Elon Musk has added another layer of uncertainty for companies. "The Labour market continues to slow steadily, but the sky is not falling," said Olu Sonola, head of US economic research at Fitch Ratings. "Given the backdrop of trade policy uncertainties, the Fed will be relieved with this report. The tariff landscape is still very uncertain." Nonfarm payrolls increased by 139,000 jobs last month after a downwardly revised rise of 147,000 in April, the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics said. Economists polled by Reuters had expected the survey of establishments to show 130,000 jobs added after a previously reported rise of 177,000 in April. The payrolls count for March was slashed by 65,000 to 120,000. The economy needs to create roughly 100,000 jobs per month to keep up with growth in the working-age population. That number could drop as Trump has revoked the temporary legal status of hundreds of thousands of migrants as part of his administration's immigration crackdown. Much of the job growth this year reflects worker hoarding by businesses, anchoring the labour market and economy through higher wages. Average hourly earnings increased 0.4 per cent after gaining 0.2 per cent in April. In the 12 months through May, wages rose 3.9 per cent, matching April's advance. US stocks opened higher. The dollar gained against a basket of currencies. US Treasury yields rose. Employers' reluctance to lay off workers could keep the US central bank on the sidelines until the end of the year. Financial markets expect the Fed will leave its benchmark overnight interest rate unchanged in the 4.25-4.50 per cent range at a policy meeting later this month, before resuming its policy easing in September. US job growth slowed in May amid uncertainty about the Trump administration's import tariffs, but solid wage growth should keep the economic expansion on track and potentially allow the Federal Reserve to delay resuming its interest rate cuts. The ebbing labour market momentum reported by the Labor Department on Friday was underscored by sharp downward revisions that showed 95,000 fewer jobs were added in March and April than previously estimated over the two month period. The unemployment rate held steady at 4.2 per cent for the third consecutive month because 625,000 people dropped out of the labour force, suggesting a lack of confidence in the jobs market and offsetting a decline in household employment. Recent surveys have pointed to consumers becoming less optimistic about their prospects of finding a job in the event of being laid off. Economists say President Donald Trump's flip-flopping on import tariffs has hampered businesses' ability to plan ahead and hire more workers. Opposition to Trump's tax-cut and spending bill from conservative Republicans in the US Senate and tech billionaire Elon Musk has added another layer of uncertainty for companies. "The Labour market continues to slow steadily, but the sky is not falling," said Olu Sonola, head of US economic research at Fitch Ratings. "Given the backdrop of trade policy uncertainties, the Fed will be relieved with this report. The tariff landscape is still very uncertain." Nonfarm payrolls increased by 139,000 jobs last month after a downwardly revised rise of 147,000 in April, the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics said. Economists polled by Reuters had expected the survey of establishments to show 130,000 jobs added after a previously reported rise of 177,000 in April. The payrolls count for March was slashed by 65,000 to 120,000. The economy needs to create roughly 100,000 jobs per month to keep up with growth in the working-age population. That number could drop as Trump has revoked the temporary legal status of hundreds of thousands of migrants as part of his administration's immigration crackdown. Much of the job growth this year reflects worker hoarding by businesses, anchoring the labour market and economy through higher wages. Average hourly earnings increased 0.4 per cent after gaining 0.2 per cent in April. In the 12 months through May, wages rose 3.9 per cent, matching April's advance. US stocks opened higher. The dollar gained against a basket of currencies. US Treasury yields rose. Employers' reluctance to lay off workers could keep the US central bank on the sidelines until the end of the year. Financial markets expect the Fed will leave its benchmark overnight interest rate unchanged in the 4.25-4.50 per cent range at a policy meeting later this month, before resuming its policy easing in September. US job growth slowed in May amid uncertainty about the Trump administration's import tariffs, but solid wage growth should keep the economic expansion on track and potentially allow the Federal Reserve to delay resuming its interest rate cuts. The ebbing labour market momentum reported by the Labor Department on Friday was underscored by sharp downward revisions that showed 95,000 fewer jobs were added in March and April than previously estimated over the two month period. The unemployment rate held steady at 4.2 per cent for the third consecutive month because 625,000 people dropped out of the labour force, suggesting a lack of confidence in the jobs market and offsetting a decline in household employment. Recent surveys have pointed to consumers becoming less optimistic about their prospects of finding a job in the event of being laid off. Economists say President Donald Trump's flip-flopping on import tariffs has hampered businesses' ability to plan ahead and hire more workers. Opposition to Trump's tax-cut and spending bill from conservative Republicans in the US Senate and tech billionaire Elon Musk has added another layer of uncertainty for companies. "The Labour market continues to slow steadily, but the sky is not falling," said Olu Sonola, head of US economic research at Fitch Ratings. "Given the backdrop of trade policy uncertainties, the Fed will be relieved with this report. The tariff landscape is still very uncertain." Nonfarm payrolls increased by 139,000 jobs last month after a downwardly revised rise of 147,000 in April, the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics said. Economists polled by Reuters had expected the survey of establishments to show 130,000 jobs added after a previously reported rise of 177,000 in April. The payrolls count for March was slashed by 65,000 to 120,000. The economy needs to create roughly 100,000 jobs per month to keep up with growth in the working-age population. That number could drop as Trump has revoked the temporary legal status of hundreds of thousands of migrants as part of his administration's immigration crackdown. Much of the job growth this year reflects worker hoarding by businesses, anchoring the labour market and economy through higher wages. Average hourly earnings increased 0.4 per cent after gaining 0.2 per cent in April. In the 12 months through May, wages rose 3.9 per cent, matching April's advance. US stocks opened higher. The dollar gained against a basket of currencies. US Treasury yields rose. Employers' reluctance to lay off workers could keep the US central bank on the sidelines until the end of the year. Financial markets expect the Fed will leave its benchmark overnight interest rate unchanged in the 4.25-4.50 per cent range at a policy meeting later this month, before resuming its policy easing in September. US job growth slowed in May amid uncertainty about the Trump administration's import tariffs, but solid wage growth should keep the economic expansion on track and potentially allow the Federal Reserve to delay resuming its interest rate cuts. The ebbing labour market momentum reported by the Labor Department on Friday was underscored by sharp downward revisions that showed 95,000 fewer jobs were added in March and April than previously estimated over the two month period. The unemployment rate held steady at 4.2 per cent for the third consecutive month because 625,000 people dropped out of the labour force, suggesting a lack of confidence in the jobs market and offsetting a decline in household employment. Recent surveys have pointed to consumers becoming less optimistic about their prospects of finding a job in the event of being laid off. Economists say President Donald Trump's flip-flopping on import tariffs has hampered businesses' ability to plan ahead and hire more workers. Opposition to Trump's tax-cut and spending bill from conservative Republicans in the US Senate and tech billionaire Elon Musk has added another layer of uncertainty for companies. "The Labour market continues to slow steadily, but the sky is not falling," said Olu Sonola, head of US economic research at Fitch Ratings. "Given the backdrop of trade policy uncertainties, the Fed will be relieved with this report. The tariff landscape is still very uncertain." Nonfarm payrolls increased by 139,000 jobs last month after a downwardly revised rise of 147,000 in April, the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics said. Economists polled by Reuters had expected the survey of establishments to show 130,000 jobs added after a previously reported rise of 177,000 in April. The payrolls count for March was slashed by 65,000 to 120,000. The economy needs to create roughly 100,000 jobs per month to keep up with growth in the working-age population. That number could drop as Trump has revoked the temporary legal status of hundreds of thousands of migrants as part of his administration's immigration crackdown. Much of the job growth this year reflects worker hoarding by businesses, anchoring the labour market and economy through higher wages. Average hourly earnings increased 0.4 per cent after gaining 0.2 per cent in April. In the 12 months through May, wages rose 3.9 per cent, matching April's advance. US stocks opened higher. The dollar gained against a basket of currencies. US Treasury yields rose. Employers' reluctance to lay off workers could keep the US central bank on the sidelines until the end of the year. Financial markets expect the Fed will leave its benchmark overnight interest rate unchanged in the 4.25-4.50 per cent range at a policy meeting later this month, before resuming its policy easing in September.
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
What's next for Tesla after the Trump-Musk public spat?
Tesla shares plunged yesterday amid Elon Musk's feud with President Trump. MarketWatch's James Rogers and Cantor Fitzgerald's Andres Sheppard look at fundamentals, such as Tesla's earnings report and the coming robotaxi launch, to gauge what's next.
