Trump Says Qatar Gift Is OK Because Reagan Did It Too (He Didn't)
'I think this was just a gesture of good faith, and, uh, I don't get it,' Trump told reporters Monday at the White House regarding backlash over what suspiciously looks like a bribe.
'Someday, it'll be like Ronald Reagan, they decommission them, you know, they get to a certain age, they decommission 'em. It'll go to my library. They're talking about going to my library in years out,' Trump added, saying that he wouldn't be using the jet after he leaves office.
There is an Air Force One jet at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, California. But it was used by seven presidents from 1973 to 2001 before being donated to the library in 2004. Reagan left office in 1989 after two terms as president, and passed away two months before the plane arrived at his library.
When does Trump plan to receive the jet, and when does he plan to have it 'decommissioned' and sent to his future presidential library, wherever that may be? The plane gift is not only receiving criticism from Democrats and Trump's usual critics but even his far-right allies, as a foreign government making such a large donation smacks of corruption. It also isn't a good look for the primary mode of transportation of the president of the United States to come from a foreign country, given potential surveillance concerns.
No matter how much Trump tries to deflect, receiving a luxury plane from Qatar looks very much like a bribe, especially since the Trump family business struck a deal late last month to build a luxury golf resort in Qatar. But Trump hasn't shied away from unethical behavior in his second term, especially when there's money involved.
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