Trump Faces MAGA Backlash Over Reported $400M Qatar Jet Gift

President Donald Trump is facing significant backlash from prominent MAGA supporters and Republican lawmakers over his plan to accept a $400 million luxury Boeing 747 jet from Qatar, intended as a replacement for Air Force One. Critics, including conservative commentator Ben Shapiro and activist Laura Loomer, condemned the acceptance of the gift, citing Qatar's alleged ties to Hamas and other groups hostile to U.S. interests, and arguing the move contradicts Trump's 'America First' and 'drain the swamp' promises. Republican Senators Josh Hawley and Rand Paul also expressed concerns about the optics and national security implications of accepting a foreign government’s gift of this magnitude. Trump defended the offer, stating he would not personally use the jet and that it would be donated to his presidential library after his term. However, the controversy highlights worries about constitutionality, political ethics, and national security, with some MAGA figures urging Trump to reconsider and drawing parallels to how the right would respond if a Democratic president accepted a similar gift. The debate underscores tensions within Trump's base and broader Republican circles regarding foreign influence and presidential conduct.