By: Fern Sidman

President Donald Trump is facing growing bipartisan scrutiny—and withering criticism from within his own conservative ranks—over his decision to accept a $400 million Boeing 747-8 aircraft from the Qatari royal family, a move that critics say sends troubling signals about U.S. foreign policy, national security, and presidential ethics. Prominent conservative radio host Erick Erickson led the charge Monday, unleashing a blistering critique on his program that focused not on legality, but morality.

“This is my problem with taking the plane from Qatar. It’s not that it’s a bribe. It’s not that it’s corrupt,” Erickson said.

“My problem with taking this plane from Qatar is I do not think the president of the United States of America should sit and fly on a plane purchased with the same money used to murder American citizens.”

Ben Shapiro on Qatar gifting Trump a plane: “Taking sacks of goodies from people who support Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood, Al Jazeera, that’s not America first….If you want President Trump to succeed, this kind of skeezy stuff needs to stop.” pic.twitter.com/fZGGf6iM8N

— The Bulwark (@BulwarkOnline) May 12, 2025

As reported by The New York Post, Erickson’s remarks reflect a deepening discomfort among conservatives who view Qatar’s foreign policies—particularly its well-documented support for Hamas and close ties to Iran—as incompatible with American values. The fact that President Trump accepted a luxury aircraft from the oil-rich Gulf monarchy has sparked concern that the move could undermine U.S. credibility, particularly in light of Qatar’s checkered record on terrorism and human rights.

While Qatar has denied directly funding terror operations, it has long provided diplomatic and financial sanctuary to Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization. The emirate has hosted Hamas’s political leadership in Doha for over a decade and has funneled billions of dollars in aid into the Gaza Strip, including under the guise of humanitarian assistance.

As the report in The New York Post noted, critics argue that such funding has indirectly bolstered Hamas’s authority and undermined the West’s efforts to isolate the group diplomatically. Though Qatar’s role as a broker in Middle East conflicts was once welcomed by Washington and Jerusalem, Erickson called attention to what he sees as a deteriorating moral calculus.

“Qatar is a rogue regime that is not our friend,” Erickson said. “Many people in Washington, DC, treat Qatar the way they treated China 20 years ago, as if it’s some innocent country that’s just involved in things.”

Erickson also raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest, referencing Attorney General Pam Bondi, who once lobbied for Qatar.

“Pam Bondi… was a lobbyist for Qatar. She made $119,000 a month,” Erickson stated on air. “I don’t think that we should agree with Pam Bondi saying, ‘Oh, yes, Qatar can gift this to the Department of Defense on condition it goes to the Trump Presidential Library.’ I think she’s opening Donald Trump up to legal trouble later.”

Though the Trump administration insists the gift is legal and compliant with all ethics guidelines, critics aren’t buying it. Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) added his voice to the chorus of concern, telling Punchbowl News, “I don’t think it looks good or smells good.”

A White House official confirmed that Qatar offered the plane as a gift to the Pentagon, not to Trump personally, but acknowledged that the issue is politically sensitive and will not be finalized this week during the president’s scheduled visit to Doha, according to The New York Post report.

“Any gift given by a foreign government is always accepted in full compliance with all applicable laws,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told The Post. “President Trump’s Administration is committed to full transparency.”

Complicating matters is the fact that Qatar also hosts the Al Udeid Air Base, the largest U.S. military installation in the Middle East and a critical hub for U.S. Central Command operations. This longstanding military cooperation lends Qatar an aura of legitimacy in Washington, even as critics warn that its dual track diplomacy—hosting U.S. troops while sheltering extremists—poses a fundamental contradiction.

As The New York Post report emphasized, the Qatari regime has successfully walked this tightrope for years, presenting itself as both a security partner and a regional mediator. However, Erickson believes the Trump administration’s embrace of the Qatar jet represents a moral failure, not a strategic win.

“I do not think the president’s Air Force One substitute should be a plane bought with the same money used to kill American citizens,” he concluded.

While legal experts debate whether the aircraft deal crosses the line into violation of the Emoluments Clause or other ethics regulations, the political optics are already proving damaging, as was indicated in The New York Post report.  For Erickson and other conservative voices, the episode is a cautionary tale about blurring the lines between diplomacy, defense, and donor politics.

According to a report in The Daily Beast, the plane—described by some as a “palace in the sky”—would serve as a temporary Air Force One for Trump’s remaining time in office and eventually be transferred to his presidential library foundation.

While constitutional scholars have flagged potential violations of the Emoluments Clause—which bars federal officials from accepting gifts from foreign states without congressional consent—MAGA critics have focused less on the legal implications and more on the political optics and donor identity. Qatar’s long-standing ties to extremist organizations such as Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood have made the Gulf state a lightning rod for controversy.

Ditto https://t.co/DYeVUxR6Xb

— Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) May 11, 2025

“Taking sacks of goodies from people who support Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood, Al Jazeera, all the rest—that is not America first,” conservative commentator Ben Shapiro warned on his show, as reported by The Daily Beast. “It just isn’t America first in any conceivable way.” He went further, stating, “If you want President Trump to succeed, this kind of skeezy stuff needs to stop.”

Joining the chorus of criticism, right-wing activist Laura Loomer called the news “concerning” and tweeted, “We cannot accept a $400 million ‘gift’ from jihadists in suits.” Loomer, a staunch Trump loyalist, admitted she would “take a bullet for Trump” but warned, “This is really going to be such a stain on the admin if this is true.” Fox News host Mark Levin echoed her sentiment with a terse but telling “Ditto.”

However, Trump quickly dispelled any illusions that he would back off the deal. In a triumphant post on Truth Social, he wrote, “So the fact that the Defense Department is getting a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE, of a 747 aircraft to replace the 40-year-old Air Force One, temporarily, in a very public and transparent transaction, so bothers the Crooked Democrats that they insist we pay, TOP DOLLAR, for the plane.” Speaking to reporters, he added, “I think it’s a great gesture from Qatar. I appreciate it very much. I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer.”

For Loomer and others, the problem lies not in the cost savings but in the diplomatic entanglements. “It’s going to complicate foreign policy about the designation of the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, which was promised and undelivered in the first Trump administration,” she told Politico, as referenced in The Daily Beast report.

Critics have long viewed Qatar’s foreign policy as a double-edged sword. While the country hosts the largest U.S. airbase in the region—Al Udeid—and maintains ties with Washington, it also plays host to Hamas leadership and provides financial support to Islamist factions. As noted in The Daily Beast report, Qatar has uniquely positioned itself as a Gulf intermediary capable of talking to all sides—from the Taliban to the West—drawing ire from hawkish Republican voices.

Top MAGA-aligned senators have also voiced skepticism. “I’m not flying on a Qatari plane,” said Sen. Rick Scott of Florida. “They support Hamas.” He added, “I don’t know how you make it safe. I don’t want the president of the United States flying on an unsafe plane.”

Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri also chimed in, saying, “Air Force One should be a big, beautiful jet made in the United States of America.” Although the Boeing 747 in question was indeed manufactured in Washington state, its extensive modifications by a Swiss firm and foreign origin raise eyebrows.

As The Daily Beast reported, this episode has opened yet another fissure between Trump’s inner circle and the ideological purists in the MAGA base. While Trump may view the jet as a pragmatic and symbolic win, critics warn it could be a diplomatic liability wrapped in luxury upholstery.

For now, the aircraft will not be “presented nor accepted” during this week’s visit, but the controversy is far from over, as was noted in the report in The New York Post. The political flight path ahead for Trump—and his would-be Air Force One—may prove far more turbulent than expected.