Maggie Haberman

Very little. It's all notional right now because the administration has not released whatever legal analysis that they say they have done. But what we know of and what we're told is that Attorney General Pam Bondi, who we should note was a lobbyist for Qatar prior to becoming the attorney general, but putting that aside, she and the White House counsel, David Warrington,

Very little. It's all notional right now because the administration has not released whatever legal analysis that they say they have done. But what we know of and what we're told is that Attorney General Pam Bondi, who we should note was a lobbyist for Qatar prior to becoming the attorney general, but putting that aside, she and the White House counsel, David Warrington,

decided that it was legally permissible for the Defense Department to get this donated plane and then for that plane to be turned over to the Trump Library just before he leaves office. The model that has been cited to us is the donation to the Reagan Presidential Library of the 707 plane that President Reagan flew around in when it was retired and decommissioned.

decided that it was legally permissible for the Defense Department to get this donated plane and then for that plane to be turned over to the Trump Library just before he leaves office. The model that has been cited to us is the donation to the Reagan Presidential Library of the 707 plane that President Reagan flew around in when it was retired and decommissioned.

Is that the idea? That's the idea. I mean, it seems as if, based on what we've been told by the administration, they are taking two separate concepts. One is that it is permissible in the past to donate an aircraft to the Department of Defense. And then separately, the Reagan Library had...

Is that the idea? That's the idea. I mean, it seems as if, based on what we've been told by the administration, they are taking two separate concepts. One is that it is permissible in the past to donate an aircraft to the Department of Defense. And then separately, the Reagan Library had...

This retired plane that President Reagan had flown around on, that plane is on display at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California. I've toured it. It's hard to imagine that President Trump would not like to hang on to this plane for personal use himself. It's much nicer than his own. He said on Monday that he is not going to keep flying around in it.

This retired plane that President Reagan had flown around on, that plane is on display at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California. I've toured it. It's hard to imagine that President Trump would not like to hang on to this plane for personal use himself. It's much nicer than his own. He said on Monday that he is not going to keep flying around in it.

But I know that most people who have some visibility into this process are a bit skeptical of that.

But I know that most people who have some visibility into this process are a bit skeptical of that.

Yeah, look, this doesn't match any kind of Department of Defense donation that I'm aware of in the past. I am willing to be shown wrong, but I don't know of that. The military would have to retrofit any plane that it acquired that was not built from scratch as an Air Force One. But the bigger issue is, again, that this is the royal family of a country that – to accept this donation.

Yeah, look, this doesn't match any kind of Department of Defense donation that I'm aware of in the past. I am willing to be shown wrong, but I don't know of that. The military would have to retrofit any plane that it acquired that was not built from scratch as an Air Force One. But the bigger issue is, again, that this is the royal family of a country that – to accept this donation.

I don't know what this ends up legally looking like. I do know that if President Biden had done the same thing, the outrage from Republicans would have been as loud as the outrage from Democrats is now.

I don't know what this ends up legally looking like. I do know that if President Biden had done the same thing, the outrage from Republicans would have been as loud as the outrage from Democrats is now.

That's the question. I mean, we don't know. The president said something. It was almost as if he's thinking of this as some kind of a return on investment, which was, you know, we provide security for them. I don't think there's a mutual defense treaty, but there is a very large U.S. military base in Qatar, and there has been a strategic alliance there.

That's the question. I mean, we don't know. The president said something. It was almost as if he's thinking of this as some kind of a return on investment, which was, you know, we provide security for them. I don't think there's a mutual defense treaty, but there is a very large U.S. military base in Qatar, and there has been a strategic alliance there.

It's been covered pretty well. But that was the question he was asked by the ABC News reporter on Monday.

It's been covered pretty well. But that was the question he was asked by the ABC News reporter on Monday.

She asked him, you know, can you assure the American people that Qatar is not looking for something in return?

She asked him, you know, can you assure the American people that Qatar is not looking for something in return?