Qatar Offers Luxury Jet to US Amid Security, Legal Concerns

The Qatari government has offered to donate a luxury Boeing 747-8 airplane to the U.S. Department of Defense, which President Donald Trump has considered accepting to replace the aging Air Force One fleet. Qatar's Prime Minister emphasized that the offer is a government-to-government transaction and not a personal gift to Trump, dismissing concerns about foreign influence. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt stated that the administration will comply with legal requirements and is not worried about any expectations of reciprocity from Qatar. However, some U.S. senators, including Chuck Grassley and Rand Paul, have expressed concerns about the ethics and national security implications of accepting such a gift, especially given Qatar's human rights record and alleged support for Hamas. Trump has defended the acceptance of the plane as a beneficial gesture, proposing that the plane would serve as Air Force One until new jets from Boeing are ready and later be donated to his presidential library. The matter remains under legal review, with ongoing debates about the appropriateness and potential risks of the arrangement.