Raskin Slams Trump Over Controversial Qatar Plane Deal

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) labeled the reports suggesting that President Trump planned to receive an opulent private plane from Qatar as "a scam" and emphasized that the president needs to obtain congressional consent before proceeding with this.

" Trump needs to obtain approval from Congress before accepting this $300 million donation from Qatar," Raskin stated on X on Sunday.

He was responding to reporting from ABC News that Trump was preparing to accept, from the royal family of Qatar, a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet, which would be available for Trump to use as Air Force One through the end of his term, at which point it would be transferred to the Trump presidential library, ABC News reported, citing sources familiar with the proposed arrangement.

"The Constitution is crystal clear: no gift 'of any sort whatsoever' from a foreign government without approval from Congress," Raskin elaborated in his post.

"A present that you utilize for four years and later store in your library remains a gift (as well as a scam)," he remarked.

Raskin, who is the leading Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee and previously served as the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, has taken issue with how Trump managed the disclosure of foreign gifts. He spearheaded this criticism. committee investigation that concluded in 2023 that the first Trump administration failed to publicly report more than 100 gifts from foreign countries worth a total of more than $250,000.

On Sunday, Trump admitted that his administration planned to temporarily receive the aircraft as a complimentary offer but emphasized that the Pentagon would also take part in this "highly visible and open deal."

In a statement to NewsNation earlier Sunday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt did not confirm the specifics of the deal but said, “Any gift given by a foreign government is always accepted in full compliance with all applicable laws. President Trump’s Administration is committed to full transparency.”

Updated on May 12 at 3:24 PM EDT.

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