Well, Donald Trump is off this week on his first state visit of this term. He won’t be dropping in on any of our European friends, or the good people of Japan, or any of our other traditional allies. Instead, he’ll be feted by the leaders of the three countries most compatible with his preferred opulent, gold-and-jewel-encrusted lifestyle: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.

Sort of like being at home at Mar-a-Lago, but without cocktails.

Granted, there are legitimate political reasons for the visits with the heads of three oil-rich nations that have already pledged trillions of dollars in U.S. investments, and who could prove to be helpful in mediating conflicts in such places as Iran and Gaza.

Hasan Alhasan, a senior fellow for Middle East policy at Bahrain’s International Institute for Strategic Studies, told CNN:

“In Trump’s book, the Gulf states tick all the right boxes. [They] pledge to invest trillions in the US economy and spend colossal amounts on US weapons systems.” [Nadeen Ebrahim and Abbas Al Lawati, CNN, May 11, 2025.]

But no one gives away that kind of money without expecting something in return, and the three Gulf states have made no secret of their desire to strengthen their security and economic relationships with the United States. According to Ebtesam Al Ketbi, founder and president of the Emirates Policy Center in Abu Dhabi, each of the countries has its own priorities; and the return of Trump to the White House signals that this is the right time to “secure greater privileges in their relationship with the world’s most powerful nation.” [Id.]

While that all seems to be business as usual, there is news of a potentially troublesome issue in the form of a Boeing 747-8 jet that Qatar has offered to Trump . . . and that he proposes to accept. His plan is to have it retrofitted for use as Air Force One for the remainder of his term, “in a very public and transparent transaction” — and then to be donated to his presidential library, where it would be available for his continued personal use.

Both sides are coloring the gift as a government-to-government transaction, which Trump said on Sunday night would be accepted by the Defense Department as a “GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE.” [Kaitlan Collins and Kit Maher, CNN, May 11, 2025.]

But, at risk of becoming repetitious, let me . . . well . . . repeat myself: “no one gives away that kind of money without expecting something in return.”

Which is precisely why the framers of the U.S. Constitution included a Foreign Emoluments Clause (Article 1, Section 9, Clause 8), which specifically states:

“No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.”

Needless to say, the partisan wrangling over legal definitions has already begun. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D.-NY) put it succinctly:

“Nothing says ‘America First’ like Air Force One, brought to you by Qatar. It’s not just bribery, it’s premium foreign influence with extra legroom.” [Id.]

And although Trump dismissed criticism from Democrats, even one of his most hardcore supporters, Laura Loomer, said that accepting the plane would be a “stain” on the administration “if this is true.” [Id.]

Kathleen Clark, a government ethics expert at Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, said that Trump’s administration is “structuring a transaction to try to avoid the obvious application of the law,” as Congress has not consented to the gift. She added: “It is ridiculous. It’s a gift to Trump. The federal government is a pass-through.” [Id.]

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Furthermore, the U.S. Secret Service — more concerned with security than legal semantics — said the plane would present a “security nightmare”:

“The (US Air Force) would have to tear it apart looking for surveillance equipment and inspect the integrity of the plane.” [Id.]

It is estimated that retrofitting would take up to two years to complete, by which time Trump would be more than halfway through his term. The plane would then be used as Air Force One for less than another two years, after which it would move to his Presidential Library . . . where, as previously indicated, it would become his personal plaything.

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There have, of course, been issues raised during past administrations concerning gifts offered by foreign governments. But Jordan Libowitz, a spokesperson for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said that this one is in a category of its own:

“We’ve never seen something on the level of a $400 million plane. It is a scale well beyond anything we’ve ever seen before.” [Id.]

That certainly fits well into Donald Trump’s lifelong philosophy of “go big, or go home.”

And let us not forget his own words, delivered via X on February 15th of tis year:

“He who saves his Country does not violate any Law.”

Well, there you have it: The Gospel According to Trump. I wonder what Congress will think about that.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
5/12/25