Qatari prime minister makes audacious claim about $400 million luxury jet gifted to Trump... as even MAGA allies raise alarms
Qatar 's prime minister has sensationally claimed his nation does not need to 'buy influence' in the United States amid mounting backlash about a $400million luxury jet offered to President Donald Trump.
Legions of Trump's own supporters, including high-profile MAGA personalities and Republicans, have led criticism against a proposed deal which would gift the president a plane to convert into his new Air Force One.
Ownership of the 'palace in the sky' would transfer to Trump's presidential library at the end of his term if the deal goes ahead as intended.
Speaking to CNN, Qatari prime minister Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani described the offer as 'a very simple government-to-government dealing.
'Why would we buy an influence in the United States?' he asked.
'If you look just in the last 10 years in the US-Qatar relationship, Qatar has been always there for the US, when it's needed.
'Whether it's on the war against terror, whether it's in the evacuation of Afghanistan, whether it's on releasing hostages from different, different countries around the world.'
One of the leading critiques against the deal is that Trump is opening himself up to bribery if he accepts such an opulent gift.
Fox host and DailyMail.com commentator Kennedy weighed in on Wednesday, admitting: 'I don't think the plane is that great of an idea to accept.
'I think that if we are forcing Democrats and the Biden family, which was famous for decades [for] grift, if we are holding them to account, then I think it's a political mistake to be doing something that could be construed as the same thing.'
Missouri Republican Senator Josh Hawley was among a handful of GOP members to weigh in, noting: 'It would be better if Air Force One were a big, beautiful jet made in the United States of America.'
Right wing radio host Erick Erickson also criticized the move, writing on X: 'My problem with the 747 from Qatar is simple: The President of the United States should not sit on a plane that was purchased with the same money used to murder American citizens.'
Self-described 'MAGA Lefty' Batya Ungar-Sargon, who argues that Trump's values are actually aligned with old-school Democrat values, warned: 'This is not a gift from Qatar, it's a bribe.'
When reports first broke about the proposal, right-wing influencer Laura Loomer, who has long championed both Trump and the broader MAGA movement, led the criticism.
She wrote on X: 'I love President Trump. I would take a bullet for him.
'But, I have to call a spade a spade. We cannot accept a $400 million 'gift' from jihadists in suits.'
Her comments were backed up by Fox host Mark Levin, who shared her post and added: 'Ditto.'
Then Ben Shapiro weighed in, blasting the arrangement as 'skeezy' in a scorched earth rant against Qatar's corruption and efforts to influence American politics.
'Qatar is not allegedly giving President Trump a $400 million jet out of the goodness of their sweet little hearts, no matter what special envoy Steve Witkoff says,' Shapiro said.
'They try to stuff money in pockets in totally bipartisan fashion. Qatar will court anyone it thinks will have power. Republican or Democrat.
'It's an equal opportunity influencer - as long as you can help whitewash their image or smooth over the fact that they are in fact the world's largest proponents of terrorism on an international scale.'
But Al-Thani railed against those assessments, insisting it will only go ahead if it is consistent with the law.
'It's still under legal review. So there's nothing really, I don't know what was... why it became so big as news.
'We will not do anything illegal. If there something illegal here, there would be many ways to hide these kind of transactions when will not be visible for the public. This is a very clear exchange that's happening between two governments,' he said. 'I don't see any controversy.'
And despite speculation the Qataris are specifically targeting Trump, Al-Thani assured Americans it 'has nothing to do with personnel.
'Whether it's on the US side or the Qatari side. It's Ministry of Defense and Department of Defense.'
The prime minister pointed out that friendship between the two nations has been steadily growing, and that Qatar has often been willing to assist in US matters.
'We have done a lot together with the US,' he said. 'For example the airlifting that happened during the Afghanistan evacuation, 80 percent of that was being taken care of from Qatar.'
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