Latest news with #MohammedBinAbdulrahmanAlThani
The Independent
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Qatar prime minister says $400m gifts are ‘normal' between friends, following Trump jet criticism
The prime minister of Qatar has again defended the decision to gift President Donald Trump a $400 million luxury aircraft, saying that such exchanges between friendly nations wereare 'normal.' Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani dismissed accusations that the move was being used by Qatar to curry favor with the president and his administration for some kind of payoff in the future. It comes after the White House announced that Trump would be accepting the aircraft, described as a 'flying palace' due to its luxurious interior, from the Qatari royal family as a replacement for Air Force One. The announcement has ignited controversy and triggered ethics complaints at home that cast a long shadow over the president's visit to the Middle East last week. Speaking at the Qatar Economic Forum on Tuesday, Al-Thani said a 'lot of controversy has been created' out of what he called 'an exchange between two countries,' adding that no business was being done 'under the table.' 'Our intention is to have a very clear exchange that the U.S. is in need for…To accelerate a temporary Air Force One,' he said. 'Qatar has the ability to provide this, we stepped up.' He added: 'A lot of nations have gifted the U.S. many things,' before appearing to make a joking reference to the Statue of Liberty – which was given to America by the French in 1884. Trump previously insisted throughout his trip to the Gulf that the plane was a present from one of America's key regional allies, describing it as 'A GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE' on Truth Social, and saying that only a 'stupid person' would have refused it. His position was reiterated by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday. She described the jet as a 'donation to our country,' saying that Qatar's royal family 'has offered to donate this plane to the United States Air Force, where that donation will be accepted according to all legal and ethical obligations.' At his forum remarks on Tuesday Al-Thani echoed the White House's sentiment, saying the transaction is being done with 'full transparency and very legally,' and was simply part of the long-standing cooperative relationship cooperation between Qatar and the U.S. He said that allegations of bribery were unfair efforts to sully his country's image. The U.S. Constitution's emoluments clause prohibits any government official from accepting gifts from 'any King, Prince or foreign State.' It's unclear if the aircraft would be a gift to the U.S. or to Trump since it was initially reported it would go to Trump's own presidential library at the end of his term. Beyond the constitutional ban, gifts are 'designed to create good feelings for the recipient and to get some kind of reciprocity," Richard Briffault, a Columbia Law School professor who specializes in government ethics, told NPR. 'The thing that [Trump] can give, of course, is public policy — weapons deals or whatever." Trump also has personal business dealings in Qatar. The Trump Organization last month announced a deal to build a luxury golf resort in Qatar. "Clearly he [Trump] is trying to make money there, and that puts us in an uncomfortable situation," said Jordan Libowitz, spokesperson for the nonprofit watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. "Is America's best interest being served, or is it the best interests of the Trump Organization?" CNN reported Tuesday that it was the Trump administration that had originally approached Qatar about the possibility of acquiring one of its Boeing 747 jumbo jets. The outlet cited several unnamed sources.
Forbes
20-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Qatar PM Says Luxury Jet Gift To Trump Is Not A Bid To Buy Influence
Qatari Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, on Tuesday said his country's offer to gift a $400 billion luxury jet to President Donald Trump's administration was a 'normal' and transparent transaction between two allies, as he dismissed allegations that Qatar was using the lavish gift in an attempt to buy influence with the White House. Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani speaks at the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha. In an interview on stage at the Qatar Economic Forum, Al-Thani said a 'lot of controversy has been created' out of what he called 'an exchange between two countries.' The prime minister said Qatar's relationship with the U.S. is 'very institutional,' and it has spanned multiple administrations, and the 'plane story' is simply a transaction between the Qatari Ministry of Defense and the U.S. Department of Defense. Al-Thani echoed the White House's sentiment, saying the transaction is being done with 'full transparency and very legally,' and a part of the decades-long cooperation between the two nations. The prime minister then suggested that the luxury jet transfer offer acts of bilateral cooperation, like Qatar aiding in the airlifts from Afghanistan during the 2021 U.S. withdrawal and the security deployment by the U.S. during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Al-Thani suggested the bribery allegations were efforts to malign his country's image unfairly. When asked if he was concerned about the Congressional scrutiny future Qatari deals would draw due to this proposed transaction, Al-Thani said none of this was being done 'under the table' or in a covert manner. The prime minister said 'a proper legal review' was being conducted by the two countries' defense departments and 'nothing has happened yet actually.' Al-Thani then tried to explain why the plane was being offered, saying: 'Our intention is to have a very clear exchange that the U.S. is in need for…to accelerate a temporary Air Force One. Qatar has the ability to provide this, we stepped up.' Al-Thani then added, 'A lot of nations have gifted the U.S. many things,' before he appeared to mention the Statue of Liberty jokingly.
Daily Mail
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
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 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.'
