Corruption, in Gold Trim: Trump’s Gift from Qatar Violates the Constitution
Donald Trump is reportedly planning to accept a luxury jet—complete with gold trim and worth approximately $400 million—from the government of Qatar. He claims that he’d be “stupid” not to accept such a gift, that the jet will be used as Air Force One during his presidency and then at the end of the term, ownership will be transferred to the Trump Presidential Library (and for his personal use!).
Let’s not dance around this: accepting that jet would be unconstitutional. And it would be corruption in plain sight.
Article I, Section 9 of the U.S. Constitution contains what’s known as the Emoluments Clause. It says no person holding a federal office may accept gifts, titles, or payments from foreign governments without the consent of Congress. The reason? To stop foreign governments from buying influence over American officials. In other words, to prevent exactly this.
If Trump accepts a multimillion-dollar jet from Qatar, he will be doing something the Constitution prohibits—period. There is no ambiguity. There is no loophole for the president. The appearance of impropriety is bad enough. The reality is worse.
This is about corruption. When a president accepts a lavish gift from a foreign government, it raises a dangerous question: who is he working for? What policies will he push? What secrets will he share? What favors will he owe?
It’s also about national security. That jet will need to be secure—encrypted communications, surveillance protections, anti-hacking technology. Will American taxpayers pay to retrofit a Qatari gift? It’s been said that that would cost hundreds of millions of dollars, likely more than the jet itself. Or will the plane remain a potential security risk in the hands of someone who is privy to the nation’s top secret information?
And it’s about America’s dignity. What does it say about our democracy if a foreign government gifts our president a gold-plated jet? That the United States can't afford to take care of its leaders? That influence is for sale? That our democracy is cheap?
This isn’t politics. It’s principle. And it’s time we said so out loud: No American president—past or present—should be on a foreign payroll, gilded jet included.
By Karen Lundquist, board member of the League of Women Voters Bloomington, MN
