Latest news with #Qataris
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump's Air Force One deal with Qatar not finalized, being reviewed by legal teams: Sources
Despite previous claims from the Department of Defense that the United States has officially accepted the luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from Qatar, the United States and Qatar have not yet finalized the details of the agreement, which are still being reviewed by their respective legal teams, according to a White House official and sources familiar with the discussions. A White House official stated that the White House's legal team is currently finalizing the details of the gift, working on a memorandum of understanding -- or MOU -- between the United States and Qatar. The Washington Post first reported the news. The plane from Qatar is currently in the United States, according to sources familiar with the matter as well as President Donald Trump, who confirmed the plane was here. However, Qatar wants to clarify the details surrounding the transfer, specifically emphasizing that the Trump administration was responsible for initiating the discussions about the donation of the luxury jet to the U.S. government, sources familiar with the negotiations said. MORE: Pentagon accepts luxury jet from Qatar to use as Air Force One "As the President has said, this will be a sovereign-to-sovereign gift to the US Air Force," White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement. Asked about the details of the plane and its transfer on Thursday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt repeated that it is a "government-to-government gift." "This is a government-to-government gift transfer from the Qataris to the Department of Defense to the United States Air Force. It is now in their hands. And for further details on where that stands, I would defer you to the Department of Defense and the United States Air Force," Leavitt said during the White House press briefing. As ABC News first reported earlier this month, the aircraft is expected to be available for use by Trump as the new Air Force One until shortly before he leaves office, at which time the ownership of the plane is expected to be transferred to the Trump presidential library foundation, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News. Last week, chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said that the Pentagon had officially accepted the luxury jet from Qatar. "The secretary of defense has accepted a Boeing 747 from Qatar in accordance with all federal rules and regulations," said Parnell, adding that the Department of Defense would "work to ensure proper security measures and functional-mission requirements are considered for an aircraft used to transport the president of the United States." MORE: Legality of Trump potentially accepting gift of Qatari plane questionable: Experts The Trump administration's plan to accept the luxury jet donated by the Qatari government to use as Air Force One has raised significant security concerns, according to intelligence experts and government officials. Democratic lawmakers have expressed concerns that the plane could pose significant security risks and potentially grant a foreign nation access to sensitive systems and communications, raising counterintelligence issues. Conversely, Republican lawmakers have questioned the president's decision to accept a gift from a foreign nation, also raising intelligence concerns. "Any building or vehicle or airplane that the president is located is a high-value target for foreign intelligence services who want to gather as much information about the president," said John Cohen, an ABC News contributor and former acting Homeland Security official. For his part, Trump said "it would be stupid" not to accept the free plane and has called the gift from Qatar a "very nice gesture." "I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer," Trump said earlier this month. "I mean, I could be a stupid person and say, 'No, we don't want a free, very expensive airplane.' But it was, I thought it was a great gesture." Trump's Air Force One deal with Qatar not finalized, being reviewed by legal teams: Sources originally appeared on
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
The View hosts slam Trump pardoning ‘tax cheats and frauds' Todd and Julie Chrisley
The View hosts lambasted Donald Trump Wednesday for pardoning 'tax cheats and frauds.' The President this week signed full pardons for former reality stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, who have been in prison since they were convicted of tax evasion and bank fraud in 2022. He additionally signed a full and unconditional pardon for tax cheat Paul Walczak. Addressing the 'eyebrow-raising' pardons on Wednesday's episode of the ABC talk show, co-host Whoopi Goldberg questioned whether people are going to have a problem with the news or if they're 'already numb to this.' 'Well, according to this administration, if you are a reality star with a lot of money, and a tax cheat, and you commit fraud, then that's good. We're gonna give you a pardon,' co-host Joy Behar said. 'But poor people on Medicaid or food stamps, according to this administration, those are the real moochers in the country, and that they have to be taken off of healthcare or food stamps. 'People in America need to understand what's going on. That's what's going on,' Behar added. 'Somebody like this guy, Chrisley, whatever his name is. I never saw the show; I've only seen clips where he's running around being rich — he gets let off the hook. But somebody, like anybody that we might know who needs help, doesn't get help from this administration.' Co-host Ana Navarro stepped in to answer Goldberg's original question, saying: 'I sure as hell do [have a problem with this]. I think one of the things we as Americans have to do is not normalize this and not get accustomed to this, and not allow this to continue to happen. Because this is not normal, this is honest, this is not ethical. 'Basically, there's a huge 'for sale' sign on the lawn of the White House, and if you are a supporter, and if you are a donor, then you can buy pardons,' Navarro argued. 'This is not just coming in a vacuum, right? This is coming at the same time he's accepting a $400 million jet from the Qataris, at the same time that he has a crypto-grift.' Todd and Julie Chrisley formerly fronted their show, Chrisley Knows Best, from 2014 to 2023, which followed their family's luxurious, multimillion-dollar lives in Atlanta, Georgia. The couple were found guilty of conspiring to defraud community banks out of more than $30 million in fraudulent loans in 2022. Prosecutors said the couple walked away from their responsibility for repayment when Todd declared bankruptcy. They were also both found guilty of tax evasion and conspiring to defraud the IRS, while Julie was convicted of wire fraud and obstruction of justice. Julie was sentenced to seven years in federal prison, and Todd got 12 years behind bars. The couple was also ordered to pay $17.8 million in restitution. The couple have been appealing their case since being sentenced in November 2022. Speaking over the phone to the couple's 27-year-old daughter, Savannah, on Wednesday, Trump called her parents' imprisonment 'a terrible thing.' 'But it's a great thing because your parents are going to be free and clean, and I hope we can do it by tomorrow,' he said. 'I don't know them, but give them my regards.' Savannah later shared her reaction to the news in an Instagram video, saying: 'I still don't believe it's real. I am freaking out. The fact that the President called me. President Trump didn't just commute their sentences, he gave them a full, unconditional pardon. So for that, I am forever grateful.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The View hosts slam Trump pardoning ‘tax cheats and frauds' Todd and Julie Chrisley
The View hosts lambasted Donald Trump Wednesday for pardoning 'tax cheats and frauds.' The President this week signed full pardons for former reality stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, who have been in prison since they were convicted of tax evasion and bank fraud in 2022. He additionally signed a full and unconditional pardon for tax cheat Paul Walczak. Addressing the 'eyebrow-raising' pardons on Wednesday's episode of the ABC talk show, co-host Whoopi Goldberg questioned whether people are going to have a problem with the news or if they're 'already numb to this.' 'Well, according to this administration, if you are a reality star with a lot of money, and a tax cheat, and you commit fraud, then that's good. We're gonna give you a pardon,' co-host Joy Behar said. 'But poor people on Medicaid or food stamps, according to this administration, those are the real moochers in the country, and that they have to be taken off of healthcare or food stamps. 'People in America need to understand what's going on. That's what's going on,' Behar added. 'Somebody like this guy, Chrisley, whatever his name is. I never saw the show; I've only seen clips where he's running around being rich — he gets let off the hook. But somebody, like anybody that we might know who needs help, doesn't get help from this administration.' Co-host Ana Navarro stepped in to answer Goldberg's original question, saying: 'I sure as hell do [have a problem with this]. I think one of the things we as Americans have to do is not normalize this and not get accustomed to this, and not allow this to continue to happen. Because this is not normal, this is honest, this is not ethical. 'Basically, there's a huge 'for sale' sign on the lawn of the White House, and if you are a supporter, and if you are a donor, then you can buy pardons,' Navarro argued. 'This is not just coming in a vacuum, right? This is coming at the same time he's accepting a $400 million jet from the Qataris, at the same time that he has a crypto-grift.' REALITY STARS TODD & JULIE CHRISLEY PARDONED BY TRUMP: After the president pardoned the reality TV stars of their tax evasion and fraud charges, 'The View' co-hosts question if their family's support of Trump helped their case. — The View (@TheView) May 28, 2025 Todd and Julie Chrisley formerly fronted their show, Chrisley Knows Best, from 2014 to 2023, which followed their family's luxurious, multimillion-dollar lives in Atlanta, Georgia. The couple were found guilty of conspiring to defraud community banks out of more than $30 million in fraudulent loans in 2022. Prosecutors said the couple walked away from their responsibility for repayment when Todd declared bankruptcy. They were also both found guilty of tax evasion and conspiring to defraud the IRS, while Julie was convicted of wire fraud and obstruction of justice. Julie was sentenced to seven years in federal prison, and Todd got 12 years behind bars. The couple was also ordered to pay $17.8 million in restitution. The couple have been appealing their case since being sentenced in November 2022. Speaking over the phone to the couple's 27-year-old daughter, Savannah, on Wednesday, Trump called her parents' imprisonment 'a terrible thing.' 'But it's a great thing because your parents are going to be free and clean, and I hope we can do it by tomorrow,' he said. 'I don't know them, but give them my regards.' Savannah later shared her reaction to the news in an Instagram video, saying: 'I still don't believe it's real. I am freaking out. The fact that the President called me. President Trump didn't just commute their sentences, he gave them a full, unconditional pardon. So for that, I am forever grateful.'
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Airplane gifted by Qatar 'much too big', laments Donald Trump
The Qataris have given the US president a Boeing 747-8, a stretch model of the jumbo jet that is more than 18ft longer than the much older 747-200B that flies as the current Air Force One. 'Frankly, it's much too big,' Donald Trump told reporters.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘The View' Hosts Scoff at Trump's Chrisley Family Pardons: A ‘Huge For Sale Sign' on White House Lawn
Donald Trump pardoned convicted fraudsters and fellow former reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley on Tuesday, drawing ire from the hosts of 'The View' on Wednesday morning. For the ABC hosts, it's just further proof that 'there is a huge 'for sale' sign on the lawn of the White House.' Teeing up the discussion, moderator Whoopi Goldberg was visibly exhausted and bothered, asking 'is anybody going to have a problem with this, or — because this is the law and order president — or are people already numb to this?' Host Joy Behar definitely had a problem with it though. 'According to this administration, if you are a reality star with a lot of money, and a tax cheat, and you commit fraud, then that's good. We're going to give you a pardon,' she scoffed. 'But poor people on Medicaid or food stamps, OK? According to this administration, those are the real moochers in the country, and they have to be taken off of health care or food stamps. People, Americans, need to understand what's going on. That's what's going on.' 'Somebody like this guy, Chrisley, whatever his name is — I never saw the show, I've only seen clips where he's running around being rich — you know, he gets let off the hook,' Behar continued. 'But somebody like, you know, anybody that we might know who needs help doesn't get the help from this administration.' Host Ana Navarro was similarly angry, saying that Americans must 'not normalize this and not get accustomed to this.' 'Because this is not normal. This is not honest, this is not ethical,' she said. 'Basically, there is a huge 'For Sale' sign on the lawn of the White House. And if you are a supporter, if you are a donor, then you can buy pardons.' 'And it's not just coming in a vacuum, right? This is coming at the same time that he's accepting a $400 million jet from the Qataris, at the same time that he's got a crypto grift that puts anything else — just everything else pales in comparison.' Navarro also called out Trump's children having business dealings, and pointed out that Amazon recently agreed to pay $40 million to license a Melania Trump documentary.' 'The profiteering we are seeing from Trump and his family from the presidency has no precedence, and cannot be accepted or normalized by the American people,' Navarro finished. You can watch the full discussion from 'The View' in the video above. The post 'The View' Hosts Scoff at Trump's Chrisley Family Pardons: A 'Huge For Sale Sign' on White House Lawn | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
