So here we go again — Donald Trump breathes, and a Democrat demands an investigation.
This time, Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) is grasping at straws over a shiny $400 million Boeing 747-8 jet from Qatar. Apparently, the plan is for it to temporarily serve as Air Force One and then later glide into Trump’s presidential library like the crown jewel of aviation. Scandalous, right?
Torres is so upset he fired off a letter to the Government Accountability Office, warning them that the plane would be “the single most expensive gift ever received by a U.S. president.” He then labeled it a “flying grift,” because no dramatic congressional outburst is complete without some punchy alliteration. Torres is waving the Emoluments Clause like a red flag at a bull, claiming it violates the part that“explicitly prohibits any person holding public office from accepting ‘any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.’”
And don’t worry — he brought the flair. “I am writing to express alarm over reports that President Donald Trump is poised to accept a luxury aircraft — a Boeing 747-8 — from the government of Qatar. The plane, so opulent it has been described as a ‘palace in the sky,’ is set to be made available to President Trump for official use as Air Force One and then for private use once he leaves office,” Torres wrote.
Then, just to make sure we all knew how personally offended he was, he added, “This ‘flying grift’ is merely the latest chapter in a tawdry tale of presidential profiteering unprecedented in American history.” We get it, Ritchie. You’re not booking a seat on Trump Air anytime soon.
Of course, Trump couldn’t let that one sit. As expected, Trump lit up social media with a classic Trumpism:
“So the fact that the Defense Department is getting a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE, of a 747 aircraft to replace the 40-year-old Air Force One, temporarily, in a very public and transparent transaction, so bothers the Crooked Democrats that they insist we pay, TOP DOLLAR, for the plane.”
Then came the cherry on top:
“Anybody can do that! The Dems are World Class Losers!!!”
Subtle as always.
According to ABC News, Trump actually toured the plane earlier this year in West Palm Beach, probably making mental notes on where to install gold-plated everything. The deal is expected to be officially announced during Trump’s upcoming trip to the Middle East, though no signature has hit the dotted line yet. Qatar says they plan to make the donation via the Pentagon, which, if you’re keeping score, is the bureaucratic equivalent of “it’s not a bribe if you hand it to my friend first.”
Qatari embassy official Ali Al-Ansari tried to calm the storm with this:
“The possible transfer of an aircraft for temporary use as Air Force One is currently under consideration between Qatar’s Ministry of Defense and the U.S. Department of Defense, but the matter remains under review by the respective legal departments, and no decision has been made.”
Translation: Chill, Congress.
And here’s a little history lesson: Presidents have been dodging Emoluments Clause landmines for decades by saying, “Oh, this gift? It’s not for me — it’s for the office of the president.” Everything gets tagged, bagged, and stored in their presidential libraries, like a federal flea market of foreign trinkets. Sure, they can visit their stuff, maybe borrow a golf club or two, but if they actually want to own any of it? They’ve gotta buy it back from Uncle Sam.
So if this shiny Qatar jet ends up parked in Trump’s library, who’s footing the bill for maintenance? No clue. But you can bet there will be plenty of congressional letters and snarky press releases about it.
For now, Trump’s still rocking his beloved Boeing 757 — aka “Trump Force One” — complete with his name plastered down the side like a NASCAR decal. That jet’s been the backdrop of more rallies than a high school gym has seen pep rallies, and now it might get a luxury companion.
And as always, the Left is having a meltdown over it.
#trumpjet #flyinggriftmeltdown #demstriggered
