Democrats heap scrutiny on Trump jet gift: ‘It is gross, it is reckless, it is corrupt'
Democrats are planning to put as much scrutiny as they can on President Trump's plan to accept the gift of a plane from Qatar to serve as Air Force One, arguing the ethical and national security lapses in accepting the jet will resonate with the public.
They also want to cast the Department of Justice under Trump as no longer standing for U.S. values, saying that under Attorney General Pam Bondi, it has instead been transformed into a legal entity solely set up to protect the president.
That effort began in earnest Tuesday, as multiple Democrats took to the floor to highlight what they argue isn't just the blurring of the lines between a public act and personal gain, but total erasure of them.
Sens. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Chris Coons (D-Del.), who have been among the leading voices in opposition, rolled out a resolution condemning 'any acceptance of Presidential aircraft, or any other substantial gift, from a foreign government.' The aircraft is valued at roughly $400 million.
'It really should go without saying, but no president should be accepting a $400 million gift from a foreign country,' Schatz said on the floor Tuesday afternoon. 'It is gross, it is reckless, it is corrupt, and the outrage and the condemnation, especially on the Republican side, should be universal. There is no excuse or justification for this. It is wrong, and that is the end of the story.'
'This is the most blatant, obvious, ridiculous, gross corruption that I've ever seen in my entire life. By dollar amount, by symbolism, by violating constitutional and statutory law,' he continued. 'You don't have to be … a lawyer. You don't have to be all fancy-pants to understand how ridiculous it is that a foreign government is going to say, 'Hey, we'll take care of Air Force One for you.''
Schatz attempted to pass the resolution via unanimous consent after the remarks, but Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) blocked that request, arguing Democrats are 'losing their minds' over a still-unfinished deal.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) followed up immediately with an attempt to pass a resolution of his own that would authorize a Senate-led lawsuit to enforce the Emoluments Clause. The constitutional clause prohibits lawmakers from accepting gifts from foreign countries without approval from Congress.
Tuberville blocked that effort as well.
But Democrats are not deterred, plotting other moves in the coming weeks, with members citing the anger they are hearing from constituents and the uneasiness they sense from their GOP colleagues over Trump's potential acceptance of the gift.
'It is extreme,' Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) told The Hill about the level of anger on the Democratic side. 'It feeds a corruption narrative about this administration and it feeds a second narrative: Trump gets a gift of a plane at the same time he's telling little kids they have to carve their Christmas gifts down?'
'The anger is very, very palpable,' he continued.
Kaine said he plans to sign onto a privileged motion to challenge security assistance and weapons transfers to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, which Trump is set to roll out in each country as part of his Middle East trip in the coming days.
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) has vowed to force votes aimed at blocking those arms sales, which he sees as attempts to curry favor with the Trump administration.
'I expect in the next couple of weeks, we're going to have more of these corrupt deals coming from the president that will add to the fury and deep disappointment that a lot of us are feeling over how the office of the president has been corrupted,' Blumenthal said. 'It will be seen in the context of the crypto corruption, the real estate deals that will potentially be detailed during the president's trip and other misuses of the presidency.'
In addition, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced Tuesday that he is placing a hold on all political nominees for the Justice Department, the first such move by him during his tenure atop the conference
On top of the hold, the Democratic leader pressed the Department of Justice's Foreign Agents Registration Act unit to 'disclose all activities by Qatari foreign agents inside the U.S. that could benefit' from the president or his business interests.
He also laid out a number of other questions, including the state of readiness of the jet, numerous safety considerations he and some Republicans have raised, what it means for the contract between the U.S. government and Boeing and who in the Justice Department signed off on allowing such a deal to move forward and pass legal muster.
'This is not just naked corruption, it is also a grave national security threat,' Schumer said in his Tuesday floor remarks. 'Until the American people learn the truth about this deal, I will do my part to block the galling and truly breathtaking politicization at the Department of Justice.'
'[Bondi] must testify before both the House and Senate to explain why gifting Donald Trump a private jet does not violate the Emoluments Clause — which requires congressional approval — or any other ethics laws,' Schumer added.
The hold could affect dozens of nominees ultimately, but few in the immediate term.
Very few Republicans outside of Tuberville have given Trump full-throated support for the move and have instead been tepid in their reactions, even though they understand his frustration with Boeing's lengthy delay and budget overruns that have held back two new aircraft from being completed as part of a contract to replace Air Force One.
Multiple members signaled concerns, including on the security and potential espionage side, while others said they are worried about the appearance of a quid pro quo and what the expectations will be on Qatar's moving forward if this deal is complete.
'What's their expectation with the contribution? My sense is people want to support Donald Trump around the world because he's engaged with them. I don't know that that's a bad thing as long as there's no quid pro quo attached to it, or an expectation that you're going to get preferential treatment of some sort,' Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) said, adding that some gifts have been a positive for the U.S.
'We have a Statue of Liberty from France for crying out loud,' he added.
But what Democrats are certain of is that if the shoe was on the other foot, Republicans would be apoplectic at such a deal.
'They'd be shooting the plane down before it made it to the ground,' Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) said. 'And rightly so.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
More white South Africans arrive in the US under a new refugee program
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A second group of white South Africans has arrived in the United States under a refugee program announced by the Trump administration, officials and advocacy groups said Monday. Nine people, including families, arrived late last week, said Jaco Kleynhans, head of international liaison at the Solidarity Movement, a group representing members of South Africa's white Afrikaner minority. The group traveled on a commercial flight to Atlanta, he said. A spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy said in an email to The Associated Press that 'refugees continue to arrive in the United States from South Africa on commercial flights as part of the Afrikaner resettlement program's ongoing operations.' An initial group of 59 white South Africans arrived at Dulles International Airport in Virginia on a chartered flight last month under the new program announced by U.S. President Donald Trump in February. The Trump administration fast-tracked the resettlement of white South Africans after indefinitely suspending other U.S. refugee programs. The Trump administration said it is offering refugee status to white South Africans it alleges are being persecuted by their Black-led government and are victims of racially motivated violence. The South African government has denied the allegations and said they are a mischaracterization of the country. Trump has falsely claimed that white South African farmers are targeted in widespread attacks that amount to genocide and are having their land taken away. Trump confronted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa with those baseless claims during a meeting at the White House last month. Ramaphosa has said the relatively small number of attacks on white farmers are part of South Africa's larger problems with violent crime, which affects all races. The Trump administration initially said the refugee program was aimed at members of South Africa's Afrikaner minority, who are descendants of mainly Dutch and French colonial settlers. In new guidance published by the U.S. Embassy last month, applicants must be 'a member of a racial minority' in South Africa and 'must be able to articulate a past experience of persecution or fear of future persecution.' There are approximately 2.7 million Afrikaners among South Africa's population of 62 million, which is more than 80% Black. They are not the only white minority. There are around 4.5 million whites in total, including those with British or other heritage. The U.S. Embassy spokesperson said the U.S. 'continues to review inquiries from individuals who have expressed interest to the embassy in resettling to the United States and is reaching out to eligible individuals for refugee interviews and processing." While U.S. officials have not said how many South Africans have applied to be relocated, Kleynhans said there have been around 8,000 applications. Another group helping white South Africans apply for refugee status has said tens of thousands have applied. ___ AP Africa news: Michelle Gumede, The Associated Press
Wall Street Journal
28 minutes ago
- Wall Street Journal
A Better Way to Make New York Affordable
Look alert, New Yorkers: Congress has a chance to cut the cost of living, and it's not the SALT deduction. Rep. Nick Langworthy (R., N.Y.) has introduced a bill in the House that would reduce the cost of federally funded construction projects in the state. New York's Labor Law 240, known as the Scaffold Law, imposes absolute liability on property owners and contractors for construction workers' gravity-related injuries from falling or being hit by a falling object. Enacted in 1885, the absolute liability standard applies even when the worker is at fault.
Axios
29 minutes ago
- Axios
Illinois passes budget, but leaves some legislation unfinished
In addition to passing a $55 billion state budget, the Illinois General Assembly passed and punted on various legislation during the session that wrapped Saturday. The big picture: The budget headed to Gov. Pritzker's desk has so-called "sin tax" increases. Pritzker used his budget press conference to take aim at President Trump for slashing federal funding, affecting Illinois and other states. Zoom out: Questions remain on how Chicago-area transit is going to move forward without the funding needed to avoid service cuts and layoffs, but lawmakers will likely work over the summer. Here are some other high-profile bills that did and didn't make it to Pritzker's desk. Medical aid and dying law Catch up quick: Democratic State Sen. Linda Holmes told Axios she pushed for this legislation after watching her mother die of cancer. The bill authorized a qualified patient with a terminal disease to request that a physician prescribe aid-in-dying medication that will allow the patient to die peacefully. The other side: Archbishop Cardinal Blase Cupich voiced opposition to the legislation after the bill passed the House, saying the end-of-life medical assistance was against Catholic beliefs. "There is a way to both honor the dignity of human life and provide compassionate care to those experiencing life-ending illness," Cupich said. State of play: The bill passed the House but didn't pass the Senate before Saturday's deadline. Home schooling Context: The bill required parents and guardians who choose to homeschool to notify the school district and set requirements for reporting the progress of home-schooled students. The chief sponsor also maintained that it would save kids who slip through the cracks, who would otherwise have a school support system looking out for their well-being. State of play: Several active members of the homeschool movement rallied in Springfield, calling on lawmakers to kill the legislation, saying it created too much regulation and blamed a "failing" public school system. The Homeschool Act did not get a vote in either chamber. What they're saying: " We haven't given up on fighting for every Illinois homeschooled kid, and we're hopeful the bill will make it across the finish line when the next session starts," The Coalition for Responsible Home Education said in a statement. What we're watching: In other education news, a bill that would have banned cell phones during instructional time didn't make it to the floor for a vote. A bill to allow community colleges to offer four-year degrees made it to assignments but was never called. AI as therapy The big picture: As experts warn about AI taking jobs, mental health professionals in Illinois can rest assured that their jobs are safe for the near future. State of play: Legislation declaring that only licensed therapists, aka humans, can provide psychotherapy services in Illinois passed the legislature. Between the lines: No lawmaker in either the House or Senate voted against in the bill. What we're watching: The House passed legislation that would increase reimbursement rates for mental health care providers and make care more affordable for patients, but it didn't make it to a full Senate vote. Reproductive health The big picture: Pritzker and the Democrat majority legislature have been instrumental in protecting access to reproductive health care in the state, and that continued with two pieces of legislation that passed. One will require all public colleges and universities to ensure students have access to contraception and abortion medication, and the other protects providers who prescribe abortion medication, even if the FDA revokes it.
