President Trump is in the Middle East on the first major international trip of his second term. At the same time, a firestorm has erupted over his plan to accept a $400 million luxury airplane from the Qatari government.Today, Maggie Haberman, a White House correspondent, explains how the free plane may set a problematic precedent — and what Qatar might expect in return.Guest: Maggie Haberman, a White House correspondent for The New York Times.Background reading: Republicans on Capitol Hill seem unlikely to challenge President Trump, as he courts gifts and pushes guardrails.When pressed on the ethical implications of accepting a luxury jet, Mr. Trump said only someone “stupid” would turn down such an offer.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. Photo: Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Chapter 1: What is the controversy surrounding Trump's acceptance of a luxury plane from Qatar?
From The New York Times, I'm Rachel Abrams, and this is The Daily. President Donald Trump is in the Middle East on the first major international trip of his second term. And at the same time, a firestorm has erupted over his plan to accept a $400 million luxury airplane from the Qatari government. Today, my colleague Maggie Haberman explains why, to many people, this free plane is problematic.
And it's not just because of the precedent it sets, but also what Qatar might expect in return. It's Wednesday, May 14.
Donald Trump is set to accept a very pricey gift from the royal family of Qatar taking delivery of a Boeing 747 that will be used as Air Force One during his second term.
President Trump says the U.S. government is poised to accept an airplane from Qatar valued at nearly $400 million.
Chapter 2: Why is the acceptance of the Qatari plane seen as problematic?
A super luxury Boeing jumbo jet from the royal family of Qatar. The very lavish gift is raising substantial ethical and legal questions.
Maggie, I have been seeing all of these stories having to do something with a plane and President Trump and Qatar. And can you just tell us what is going on?
Sure. So, first of all, thanks for having me, Rachel. It's great to be here with you.
It is great to be here with you.
What's going on here is that President Trump plans and has been very clear that he plans to accept a plane that he indicated is going to be donated by the Qataris for him to fly around on as a new plane. Air Force One. And this is a luxury plane worth about $400 million, decked out on the interiors, used by the royal family in Qatar. And it has caused an enormous amount of outrage.
This is not just naked corruption. It is also a grave national security threat.
Explain that outrage a little bit. What's the reaction been? So Democrats have been very vocal that they think this is essentially, you know, some form of a payoff to the president.
And what people will now see is the most powerful man on earth flying around in a plane paid for by a foreign government.
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Chapter 3: What are the political reactions to Trump's acceptance of the plane?
We can't have our president or anyone else being influenced by foreign government gifts.
It's disgusting.
And it's outrageous and unacceptable.
It's wildly corrupt. Because, as the editorial page of the New York Post said, it's hard to imagine that officials in Qatar think that they are doing this just to be nice. And it's hard to know what exactly they might want in return.
I imagine the government of Qatar would expect a return on this investment in the president of the United States. So this is ridiculous to think that he can take this airplane.
Most Republican elected officials have been pretty muted. There have been a few who have commented.
Well, what I'm concerned is the safety of the president. I mean, Qatar's not, in my opinion, a great ally. I mean, they support Hamas.
It's worth the investment here in this country to build a big, beautiful general here in the United States.
But really, there has been a pretty strong reaction from some conservative Republican MAGA influencers, whatever bucket you want to put them in, who are normally pretty aligned with President Trump and who have said that this is not exactly draining the swamp, as he said he would.
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Chapter 4: Is it legal for Trump to accept a plane from a foreign government?
And just to be clear, if this is a straight up gift from a foreign state, is that prohibited by any rules? That's a great question.
A straight up gift to an elected official by a foreign government is generally not allowed and needs to be approved by Congress. The way in which this might work... Sounds like it would be as a donation to the Defense Department, which is not totally unheard of, although certainly not under this kind of circumstance.
And then it would be donated in some way or turned over in some way to President Trump's presidential library right before he leaves office. But it is going to raise all kinds of questions.
I, unlike you, Maggie, do not know much about Air Force One. In a normal world, how does a plane become an Air Force One plane?
In a normal world, and for a while in this world, a new Air Force One is commissioned by the presidential administration by a major airplane maker. It's been Boeing. And there is a contract that is active with Boeing for two new Air Force Ones. And these planes are commissioned specifically for this purpose.
They get built out for this purpose, and they get fitted with certain systems that only exist for this purpose.
Okay, but if we already have an Air Force One, why is President Trump even entertaining the idea of getting a new Air Force One?
So the backstory here is that Donald Trump, for starters, is very obsessed with airplanes and obsessed with the way things look.
This Boeing 757 is a sleek, narrow-bodied, long-legged beauty. And she's treated like the celebrity who owns her. This is Donald Trump's private jet. A Boeing 757.
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Chapter 5: How does Air Force One get commissioned and why is Trump seeking a new one?
And obsessed with airplanes as a status symbol. That's the big thing for him.
One of the things very important to me on the Boeing 757 was the Rolls-Royce engines. They're special.
He has owned planes of his own.
Planes outfitted with a full bar, entertainment system, iPod docking system, and how can we forget, 24-karat gold trimming.
President Trump is flying around on two more than 30 years old, I think almost 40 year old, Air Force Ones that were commissioned from Boeing a very long time ago.
You know, when I first came in, I said, how old is Air Force One?
They are not in great shape.
So Air Force One is a very old plane. It's beautiful, but it's an old 747.
They're pretty janky.
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Chapter 6: What are Trump's motivations and frustrations regarding Air Force One?
But no administration, Obama, Bush, they didn't want to do it because it sounds luxury. But at some point, you've got to buy a plane for the country.
I mean, they're certainly nicer than a commercial airplane, but they're not, you know, what you might see on, say, a Qatari luxury jet.
And these Arab countries would have their beautiful 747, 800s, 900s pour in, and they were gorgeous. And believe it or not,
I'm picturing like ripped cushions.
There's no ripped cushions, but it looks like you were getting into, I'm trying to think how to describe this, if you were getting into like what was a really nice leather interior in the 1990s.
And I'm good at airplanes, okay?
It looks like it is... Weathered. That's a great word. And the planes themselves are enormous, and they have a lot of fuel on them, so they shudder when they take off. Oh, that must feel great. It's wonderful, especially for those of us afraid of flying. And they really, like, heave to get into the air. And this has always irritated Trump, that this is...
sort of a bit of a janky plane or two planes that need constant servicing and are old and are not, you know, sleek and streamlined. And so Trump renegotiated existing contracts that President Obama had signed, actually, when President Trump was in office the first time for two new Air Force Ones that were being commissioned by Boeing.
And Boeing, which is making them, has obviously had all kinds of struggles. And here we are now where the planes are very delayed and they are, as of now, still not likely to be ready while President Trump is in office, which is very irritating to him. He has been very frustrated that he would not get to fly on the Air Force Ones that he renegotiated the contracts for last time.
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