Trump Says Qatari Jet Secures American Independence
President Donald Trump declared Wednesday that accepting a luxury Boeing 747 from Qatar would demonstrate American self-reliance by placing the nation’s presidential transportation in the hands of a foreign monarchy. Trump said the aircraft, offered by the government of Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, would save taxpayers money while proving that the United States remains too powerful to be influenced by a gift worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The arrangement updates the traditional meaning of independence from “providing for yourself” to “being provided for by whoever happens to have an available jumbo jet.”
“Nobody is more independent than a president sitting inside a four-hundred-million-dollar present from another country, because once you accept everything, nobody has anything left to tempt you with,” Trump said. Administration officials described the proposed transfer as a breakthrough in fiscal discipline, noting that purchasing American aircraft with American money is an outdated form of waste that deprives friendly governments of the opportunity to furnish the presidency. Officials added that Qatar’s extensive interests in U.S. military, diplomatic and economic policy make the gift especially convenient, since both countries already have plenty to discuss once the thank-you note is delivered.
Critics argued that accepting one of the largest foreign gifts ever offered to a president could create the appearance of obligation. Trump dismissed that concern as nostalgia for an era when public officials were expected to avoid enormous personal benefits from governments seeking favorable treatment. Under the administration’s procurement model, federal agencies may soon reduce costs by admiring expensive property near foreign embassies and casually mentioning that America would love to borrow it indefinitely. Defense officials could obtain ships from Saudi Arabia, the Treasury could accept a complimentary bank from the United Arab Emirates, and the Commerce Department could simply wait beside the mailbox for China to send something thoughtful.
Trump said the aircraft would embody America First because America would receive the plane first and consider the ethical questions at some later, less luxurious altitude. The foreign gift therefore established, as a matter of national policy, that America can owe another country an airplane and still owe it nothing at all.
* None of the quotes in this article were spoken by an actual person. More info.