Donald Trump Compares Qatar Gift to Statue of Liberty

President Donald Trump has defended accepting a Boeing 747 from Qatar, comparing it to the Statue of Liberty.

The president reshared a post on Truth Social noting that the statue was gifted to the U.S. from France. The post included an edited picture showing the statue with a sign around its neck that said, "Gift from a foreign nation."

Why It Matters

Qatar's gift of a $400 million Boeing jet has sparked legal and ethical scrutiny and criticism from both Democrats and Republicans. Some say accepting such a lavish gift violates the Constitution's foreign emoluments clause, while others see it as a bid to buy influence from Qatar.

Several of Trump's allies, including Senators Josh Hawley and Rand Paul, have broken with the president over his plans to accept the plane. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has said he will hold up all Justice Department nominations on the Senate floor until he received more answers about the gifted plane.

What To Know

Trump has repeatedly made the case for accepting the jet amid delays to Boeing's Air Force One program.

Speaking to Fox News' Sean Hannity on board Air Force One during his trip to the Middle East on Tuesday, the president complained that Air Force One was not as nice as the planes flown by some Arab leaders.

"When you land and you see Saudi Arabia, and you see UAE, and you see Qatar, and you see all these, and they have these brand-new 747s mostly. And you see ours next to it. This is like a totally different plane. It's much smaller. It's much less impressive, as impressive as it is," he told Hannity.

"We're the United States of America. I believe that we should have the most impressive plane," he continued, adding, "Some people say, 'Oh, you shouldn't accept gifts for the country.' My attitude is why wouldn't I accept a gift?"

He also cast the jet as a win for American taxpayers while the government waits for Boeing to deliver a replacement for Air Force One.

"It will be used by our Government as a temporary Air Force One, until such time as our new Boeings, which are very late on delivery, arrive," the president wrote on Truth Social on Sunday.

"Why should our military, and therefore our taxpayers, be forced to pay hundreds of millions of Dollars when they can get it for FREE from a country that wants to reward us for a job well done. This big savings will be spent, instead, to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! Only a FOOL would not accept this gift on behalf of our Country," he continued.

Trump also said he wouldn't fly around in the gifted Boeing 747 after his term ended, saying it would be donated to a future presidential library.

"It would go directly to the library after I leave office," he said on Monday. "I wouldn't be using it."

What People Are Saying

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Tuesday: "The attorney general must testify before both the House and Senate to explain why gifting Donald Trump a private jet does not violate the Emoluments Clause—which requires congressional approval—or any other ethics laws."

Senator Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, told reporters: "I understand that we may need a new Air Force One, but I'd love to have a big, beautiful jet that's built in the United States of America. That seems to me to be the way to go."

Senator Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky, said, per Punchbowl News: "I don't think it looks good or smells good."

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Fox & Friends on Monday: "The Qatari government has graciously offered to donate a plane to the Department of Defense. The legal details of that are still being worked out. But, of course, any donation to this government is always done in full compliance with the law, and we commit ourselves to the utmost transparency, and we will continue to do that."

What Happens Next

Trump is visiting the Middle East on the first major foreign trip of his second term. He is expected to wrap up his stay in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday and head to Qatar, where he is to be honored with a state visit. He is also scheduled to visit the United Arab Emirates.

Update 5/14/25, 4:24 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.