Trump’s Defense of Qatar Jet Gift Using Reagan Comparison Draws Criticism

Trump’s Defense Of Qatar Jet Gift Using Reagan Comparison Draws Criticism

Here we go again.

Donald Trump, never one to pass up a freebie, is catching heat after defending a jaw-dropping gift from Qatar: a $400 million Boeing 747-8 jet—yes, the same model used as Air Force One. The twist? He says Ronald Reagan did the same thing.

Spoiler alert: He didn’t.

Trump, according to The New Republic, justified the whole thing by pointing to the Reagan Presidential Library, where one of the old Air Force One jets is on display. Trump’s logic? “Reagan got a plane, so can I.”

But here’s the deal—Reagan’s aircraft was U.S. government property, decommissioned and later put in a museum. That’s not quite the same as accepting a luxury aircraft from a foreign country while planning another run for the White House.

This isn’t just some flashy perk. It’s a potential minefield.

Ethics experts told NPR that this could violate the Constitution’s Foreign Emoluments Clause, which blocks presidents from accepting gifts from foreign states without Congress giving the thumbs-up.

You know, the rule designed to keep foreign governments from buttering up American leaders with shiny toys.

The Qataris, for their part, are trying to spin it. Officials said the plane isn’t a “gift” but a “temporary loan.” Sure. Like when your friend “loans” you their Lambo for a few years.

Trump doesn’t see the problem.

“It would be stupid not to take it,” he told France24, saying the jet was being offered “free of charge” and would save the government money.

Free stuff is great, but when it comes wrapped in diplomatic strings and wrapped in foreign flags, things get complicated fast.

This also isn’t Trump’s first Emoluments Clause rodeo. Remember those lawsuits about foreign officials booking rooms at Trump hotels? Those fizzled after he left office. But the concerns haven’t disappeared.

As AP notes, this jet deal is déjà vu—with wings.

No word yet on whether Congress will step in, or if Trump plans to slap a giant gold “T” on the tail and call it “Trump Force One.”

But one thing’s clear: Trying to drag Reagan into this isn’t just a reach—it’s a rewrite.

And Reagan, for the record, didn’t fly on Qatar’s dime.