Perspective: Media ‘chew toy' or ethical debacle? Either way, the optics of the Qatar jet are terrible

Yahoo

12-05-2025

On Monday, author and commentator Walter Kirn asked his followers on X what 'chew toys' President Donald Trump would throw to the media this week to distract them from other things going on.
There was an obvious answer in the form of a shiny new jet — dubbed a 'flying palace' — that Trump is considering accepting from the royal family of Qatar to serve as Air Force One while Boeing builds more.
To accept an aircraft valued at $400 million for personal use would clearly be a gross violation of ethical standards set for all government employees, even if it goes to his presidential library after his term ends, as some news outlets have reported.
But it's not clear that this will happen, or even if the Department of Defense will accept the use of the plane on behalf of the U.S. government. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that the arrangement is under review, adding 'of course, any donation to this government is always done in full compliance with the law.'
A social media post by Trump over the weekend was less reserved: 'So the fact that the Defense Department is getting a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE, of a 747 aircraft to replace the 40 year old Air Force One, temporarily, in a very public and transparent transaction, so bothers the Crooked Democrats that they insist we pay, TOP DOLLAR, for the plane. Anybody can do that! The Dems are World Class Losers!!!'
CBS News confirmed with Ali Al-Ansari, Qatar's media attaché to the U.S., that the discussions are taking place, but no decision has been made. He told CBS News that reports that Trump would receive the aircraft during his trip to Qatar this week are 'inaccurate.'
It might well be that, as Kirn suggested, Trump is playing with the media, like some say he is doing when he talks about running for president again in 2028. Despite his accessibility to the media — Leavitt calls him 'the most transparent and accessible president in American history' — his relationship with the press remains adversarial, and there often seems to be a bit of trolling involved in his public statements.
'You know what he cares about? Making idiots mad. And he's really, really good at it,' podcaster Ben Shapiro said recently, arguing that the 'Trump 2028″ ballcap and the talk about restarting Alcatraz were examples of the president needling his critics. More chew toys, in other words.
That said, there is something that smacks of truth in Trump's posts about the jet. The president is a man who enjoys luxury, and he has been frustrated with the government's air travel options since his first term. Boeing has been under contract to deliver two new aircraft since 2018; it was supposed to deliver them in 2024, but that's been pushed back to 2027, per CNN.
'The two jets now in use, which have the code letters VC-25A and carry the Air Force One designation when the president is on board, have been in service for nearly 35 years, starting during the term of President George H.W. Bush,' Chris Isidore reported for CNN.
That's older than the average age of planes in service globally — which is just under 15 years, according to the International Air Transport Association, per Forbes.
That said, a showman like Trump should know that the optics of such a deal, if it transpires, are terrible, even if the White House lawyers find a way around the Standards of Ethical Conduct for the executive branch, which say it's OK to accept a cup of coffee and a doughnut, as well as gifts $20 or less.
'Ask yourself if the gift would have been offered if you were not working for the Government. If the answer is no, then the gift is being offered because of your Government position and, as a general rule, you cannot accept it. ... You must also turn down a gift from those who have interests that may be significantly affected by your Government duties, as they are also considered 'prohibited sources,'' the policy says.
Accepting a 'flying palace' from a royal family would also be unconstitutional, The Washington Post reported, saying such a gift would violate "the emoluments clause, which forbids U.S. officials from accepting gifts or other things of value from foreign officials without congressional approval."
Republicans have spent years decrying ethical violations in the Biden administration, such as Hunter Biden's lucrative stint on the board of directors of a natural gas company in Ukraine. Now their own president is serving up ethical transgressions on a silver platter, two already this month, between the plane and a private White House dinner and tour offered to the 25 top investors in his $Trump meme coin.
Pick your battles, Mr. President. This one won't fly.