Why Qatar is bribing Trump

Inside a Boeing 747-8, which Qatar will reportedly gift to President Trump (Spotti Flight/YouTube)

On Sunday, President Trump announced that the government of Qatar would be giving the "Defense Department" a luxury 747 aircraft to replace Air Force One. Critics of the deal, Trump said, were "World Class Losers."

ABC News and other media outlets added a crucial detail. After Trump leaves office, the 747 gifted by Qatar would be transferred to the Trump Presidential Library. Of course, presidential libraries do not ride on luxury airplanes. This is a gift, valued at least $400 million, from a foreign government to Trump himself. (Qatar says the details of the transfer are still being finalized and "no decisions have been made.")

Trump is frustrated with Boeing's delays in producing a new Air Force One. The two planes serving as Air Force One today date from the George H.W. Bush administration. Their replacement is not expected to be ready until at least 2027, when Trump's term will be more than half over. He told reporters that the current planes are not up to the standard of those used by other world leaders.

This is the second time that the government of Qatar has moved to personally enrich Trump this month. On May 1, the Trump Organization struck a deal to build a $5.5 billion Trump International Golf Club in Qatar. To develop the project, the Trump Organization is partnering with Dar Global, a Saudi Arabian company, and Qatari Diar, a company owned by the Qatari government. Qatari Diar was established by Qatar's sovereign wealth fund in 2005.

"We are incredibly proud to expand the Trump brand into Qatar through this exceptional collaboration with Qatari Diar and Dar Global," Eric Trump said in a press release. At the announcement of the deal, Eric Trump appeared alongside Abdullah bin Hamad bin Abdullah Al Attiya, a Qatari government official and the Qatari Diar Chairman.

Qatar is not acting out of altruism. It wants policy concessions from the U.S. government to bolster its economic and national security interests. Trump is brazenly exploiting those needs to line his pockets.

Qatar's wish list

Appearing Monday on Fox News, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that she was "absolutely" sure that Qatar did not "want something in return" for the $400 million 747 airplane because "because they know President Trump and they know he only works with the interests of the American public in mind."

This is not a credible position.

Qatar is the second-largest purchaser of U.S. military equipment, just behind Saudi Arabia, and has a keen interest in ongoing access to high-tech weaponry. In March, the Trump administration "approved the sale of eight MQ-9B Predator drones and a large package of bombs and missiles to Qatar in a deal valued at nearly $2 billion." Arming Qatar with advanced unmanned aircraft, a development that may not be welcomed by all of its neighbors, marked a policy shift for the United States. Included in the deal were "200 Joint Direct Attack Munitions, 300 500-pound general-purpose bombs, 110 Hellfire II missiles, [and] Seaspray 7500 maritime radars." These transfers can be controversial due to Qatar's ties with several radical groups, including political and financial support for Hamas.

Qatar is also home to Al-Udeid Air Base, "the largest U.S. military facility in the Middle East" with about 13,000 American troops. The presence of the base serves as a security umbrella for the country and enhances its diplomatic stature in the region. Qatar has spent about $1.8 billion to modernize the facility, reflecting its commitment to a long-term American presence.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Trump acknowledged the relationship between Qatar's gift and security guarantees. He said that Qatar offered him the plane because the United States "kept them safe."

The U.S. is also important to Qatar economically. Both countries are major liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporters, and Qatar desires access to advanced U.S. technologies and energy markets. The government of Qatar has a 70% stake in a new $10 billion LNG export hub in Texas known as Golden Pass LNG. The deal required approval from U.S. regulators. Qatar also has a vested interest in ensuring that U.S. energy policy does not undercut global demand for LNG, a fossil fuel. The country plans to nearly double its LNG capacity by 2030.

Trump left Monday for a trip to the Middle East. He will visit Qatar on Tuesday.

How is this legal?

Is it legal for a foreign country to gift a $400 million plane to the President of the United States for his personal use? Not according to the Constitution, Article I, Section 9, Clause 8:

No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.

The prohibition against foreign gifts to the President or other office holder, absent Congressional approval, is "the only ethics and conflicts rule that was put directly in the Constitution by the founders and the framers."

And yet, according to reports, Attorney General Pam Bondi (R) has concluded that the transfer of the plane from Qatar to the Defense Department and then to the Trump Presidential Library is legally permissible.

How did Bondi come to this conclusion? Her rationale has not been publicly released. But we do know that, before joining Trump's political operation, Bondi represented the Qatari Government as a foreign agent in a $115,000 per month contract between Qatar and Bondi's former employer, the Trump-connected lobbying firm Ballard Partners.

If Qatar transfers the plane to Trump, the complex process of outfitting the plane with the security features to serve as Air Force One will reportedly go to L3Harris, a military contractor. L3Harris recently hired Ballard Partners to lobby the federal government on its behalf for "business development."