Qatar, Trump and Democrats
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Democrats are planning to fly a banner that reads “Qatar-a-lago” over President Trump’s Florida estate Wednesday after he said he would accept a $400 million jet from the Qatari government.
House Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday urged Republicans to schedule a vote if President Donald Trump accepts a free Air Force One replacement from Qatar. Watch the full news conference held by House Democrats Wednesday in our video player above.
The president announced that Qatar, a major non-NATO ally to the U.S., offered the luxury plane—known as "a flying palace"—to the Department of Defense (DOD). Trump says the aircraft is worth $400 million and the assertion has prompted fierce bipartisan pushback.
Qatar’s potential plan to provide a $400 million jumbo jet to the U.S. to use as Air Force One underscores how the tiny Gulf state has managed to diplomatically punch above its weight for years: It has a lot of money and is willing to spend it.
President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday a $200 billion deal between Qatar Airways and Boeing, a lifeline for the beleaguered American aerospace giant and a powerful symbol of the diplomatic maneuvering defining his presidency.