Research/Study Research/Study

Right-media are split over Trump's “flying palace” gift from Qatar

“Disgraceful,” “skeezy,” and “problematic”: Some on the right aren’t sold on Trump’s new jet

Written by Sage Hodil & Emma Mae Weber

Published

Updated

Update (5/15/25): The piece has been updated with additional examples.

Right-wing media voices have disagreed over the legality, morality, and security of President Donald Trump’s potential acceptance of a gift offered by the Qatari government: a jet described as a “flying palace” to replace Air Force One. Some right-wing pundits are coming to Trump’s defense, but many have expressed their discomfort with the gift, calling it “disgraceful” and “skeezy.” 

Jump to section...

  • Trump is poised to accept what may be the largest gift the US has ever received from a foreign government

    • Trump is expected to accept a luxury jet from Qatar, which is possibly the most valuable gift ever offered to the U.S. by a foreign government. Known as a “flying palace,” the super luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet would replace Air Force One until just before Trump is set to leave office, and then it would be transferred to the Trump presidential library foundation. There are many questions about the legality of the gift, which some have characterized as a bribe. [ABC, 5/11/25; The Guardian, 5/11/25]
    • Legal experts warn that this gift would violate the Constitution's emoluments clause. The clause reads: “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.” Former White House lawyer Norman Eisen said in an interview with CNN, “It‘s so obviously, a violation of the emoluments clause.” [AP, 5/12/25, The Hill; 5/13/25; Constitution.congress.gov, accessed 5/14/25]

  • Various right-wing voices raised concerns related to the Qatari jet

    • The Daily Wire’s Ben Shapiro said Trump's “skeezy stuff needs to stop,” mentioning the Qatari plane and Trump's crypto coin. Shapiro went on to say that accepting the jet would be “inherently bad” and people on the right would “be freaking out” if Qatar gifted former President Joe Biden a jet. [Media Matters, 5/12/25]
    • Right-wing commentator, Trump ally, and self-described “proud Islamophobe” Laura Loomer said she is “so disappointed” that Trump plans to accept the jet and that it will leave “a stain” on his administration. In a separate post, Loomer opposed the gift over Qatar’s ties to terrorism and ranted about “foreign funding” to universities, claiming this all amounts to “an Islamic takeover of our country.” [People For, 11/1/2017; Twitter/X, 5/11/25, 5/11/25]
    • The Free Press editors slammed the gift as “disgraceful” and “on its face” a violation of the emoluments clause. They also wrote, “This is precisely the kind of self-dealing in the executive branch that Congress is supposed to check and balance.” [The Free Press, 5/12/25]
    • The New York Post editorial board wrote a scathing piece titled “Qatar’s ‘Palace in the Sky’ jet is NOT a ‘free gift’ — and Trump shouldn’t accept it as one.” The piece suggested the move amounted to corruption, saying, “Qatar is famous for seeking to buy influence.” The piece also stated that “Team Trump claims the president’s actions are all meant to benefit the nation, but given all the foreign investments and conflicts of interest — and now a $400 million plane — they seem designed to benefit the president more than anything.” [New York Post, 5/12/25]
    • Right-wing podcaster Tim Pool said the gift “bothers basically everyone.” [Twitter/X, 5/12/25]
    • Attorney Marina Medvin, who represented January 6 defendants, said the jet is a “flying Trojan horse.” In a separate post, Medvin reminisced, “I miss the old Trump, the one that was cautious of and critical of Qatar.” [Politico, 11/14/24; Twitter/X, 5/11/25, 5/11/25]
    • Fox guest and political strategist Christina Pascucci said of the gift, “How can you be so sure that it's not in some way compromised? That there's not some sort of spyware or something?” Pascucci also asked, “If this were happening with a Democratic president what would the response be on the side of Republicans?” [Fox News, Fox News @ Night, 5/12/25]
    • Fox News chief political analyst Brit Hume said the gift is “a little bit problematic” due to Qatar being a “controversial country.” Hume then warned, “It may be seen by a lot of the public as simply unseemly.” [Fox News, Special Report with Bret Baier, 5/12/25] 
    • Newsweek opinion editor Batya Ungar-Sargon said she doesn’t think Trump “can be bribed," but the gift does give “the appearance" of bribery. Ungar-Sargon stated, “While I do not believe Donald Trump can be bribed at all, the appearance there I think is offensive to people who want to join the movement, who want to be part of it, but are offended by this.” [Newsmax, Finnerty, 5/12/25]
    • Fox host Mark Levin called Qatar a “terrorist regime.” Levin posted, “The debate about whether the plane is a legal gift is beside the point. Qatar is a terrorist regime that has murdered Americans. I cannot let bygones be bygones.” [Twitter/X, 5/14/25]
    • Fox contributor Ari Fleischer said that “nothing about getting Air Force One from a foreign government feels right,” and urged Trump not to accept it. Fleischer posted, “It may be legal, but I wouldn’t do it. Air Force One should be American through and through. It shouldn’t pass through foreign hands and it shouldn’t be a gift from a King. Don’t do it.” [Twitter/X, 5/12/25] 
    • The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board: “Beware Qataris Bearing a 747 Gift.” The Editorial Board wrote, “It demeans the Presidency to have a foreign government handing out such a valuable gift to America’s elected leader.” [Wall Street Journal, 5/12/25]
    • Fox host Brian Kilmeade wondered about the optics of Trump accepting the jet and asked, “What does Qatar want in return for a multi-billion-dollar plane?” Kilmeade still hedged on Trump’s judgment, saying, “The president really understands air travel. … Remember the Trump airline? So, he understands planes.” [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 5/14/25]
    • Fox host Dana Perino said, “I don't like the idea of the plane.” She dismissed this by adding, “I don't think that is necessarily happening.” [Fox News, The Five, 5/13/25]

  • Some right-wing voices are defending Trump’s acceptance of the gift

    • Right-wing podcast host Megyn Kelly called the jet “sick” and defended the gift because Trump “doesn't plan on using it for personal use after he leaves office.” Kelly started off saying, “At first that does sound terrible that our president would be taking a $400 million gift from the Qataris,” but then she cited Attorney General Pam Bondi's statement that Trump can get around the emoluments clause because this would be a gift to the Pentagon and Trump wouldn’t use it after he left office. [SiriusXM, The Megyn Kelly Show, 5/13/25] 
    • Newsmax host Rob Schmitt said the jet “looks so freaking sweet” and denied that Trump would “get bought” by Qatar. Schmitt also attacked the media for trying to “turn this into a scandal” while ignoring the Biden family’s alleged foreign influence scheme.  [Newsmax, Rob Schmitt Tonight, 5/12/25] 
    • Podcaster Comfortably Smug (real name Shashank Tripathi) claimed the story “is a lie” and accused the journalist who broke it of “being paid by Boeing.” [Twitter/X, 5/11/25]
    • Infowars host Alex Jones slammed media criticism of the gift as “pathetic” and “ridiculous.” Jones specifically called out Laura Loomer, saying, “She just doesn't sometimes get it." [Infowars, The Alex Jones Show, 5/12/25] 
    • Newsmax host Greg Kelly said it's “a great idea" for Trump to accept the jet, and his show aired a chyron stating, “The president deserves a new & improved AF1.”  [Newsmax, Greg Kelly Reports, 5/12/25] 
    • Fox News contributor Newt Gingrich claimed “there's no question that Qatar wants to gain some affection with this transaction” and also said “this is not what the Founding Fathers worried about.” Gingrich continued, “This is not like the French president who was privately getting diamonds from a country in Africa for his own pocketbook.” [Premiere Radio Network, The Sean Hannity Show, 5/13/25]
    • Fox News host Sean Hannity attacked the “legacy state-run media mob” for having an “obsession” with Trump accepting the jet. Hannity alleged, “They know nothing about the history of the relationship and the partnership between the U.S. and Qatar. The left never seemed to care” when Qatar invested in our national defense. [Fox News, Hannity, 5/13/25]
    • MAGA podcaster Benny Johnson said it's “totally permissible” and “normal” for Trump to receive gifts, even an “obscenely expensive gift” like the jet. Johnson also commented, “It’s one of the most beautiful, nicest planes I’ve ever seen in my life. … Has what the kids would call ‘aura’.” [YouTube, The Benny Show, 5/14/25] 
    • Fox host Ainsley Earhardt defended Trump’s acceptance of the gift, saying, “What if you had a 40-year-old car, you might want a new one.” [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 5/14/25]
    • Newsmax host Rob Finnerty defended the jumbo jet gift but acknowledged, “I would definitely criticize Joe Biden if he cut the exact same deal.” Finnerty said, “This plane would not be a gift to Donald Trump. It would be a gift to the United States,” but then said, “I would criticize Joe Biden if he was about to get a $400 million plane from Qatar to fly around for a couple of years, then donate to his presidential library that no one would go to.” [Newsmax, Finnerty, 5/13/25] 
    • Fox & Friends co-host Lawrence Jones called the plane “beautiful” and said, “We would be crazy not to accept” it. Jones then dismissed concerns over national security, saying, “People have been watching way too many spy movies.” [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 5/14/25]