Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called out President Donald Trump in a post on X for accepting a "free gift" of a luxury jet from the Qatari royal family, pointing out that despite what Trump might say, there's no way he could have been offered the jet without the expectation that he would give something in return.
In a Truth Social post Sunday night, Trump claimed the Pentagon would be accepting a Boeing 747-8 “GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE” to serve as a temporary replacement for Air Force One. Trump’s comments come just ahead of his planned visit to Doha, Qatar—part of his first major overseas trip since taking office in January.
The statement followed reports that his administration had agreed to take a luxury aircraft from the Qatari royal family, which will be outfitted for presidential use during a potential second term, according to two individuals with knowledge of the arrangement. Trump described the handoff as occurring “in a very public and transparent transaction.”
During his Middle East trip on Tuesday, Trump defended the controversial proposal to accept the luxury jet and questioned why should "our military, and therefore our taxpayers, be forced to pay hundreds of millions of Dollars when they can get it for FREE from a country that wants to reward us for a job well done."
He has spent recent days repeatedly defending the Qatari offer, even as legal experts and longtime allies raise concerns about the propriety and potential legality of accepting such an extravagant gift—especially given the cost of retrofitting the jet with the necessary secure communications and defense systems to function as Air Force One.
With all this in mind, Clinton wrote:
“No one gives someone a $400 million dollar jet for free without expecting anything in return. Be serious.”
You can see her post below.
Many concurred—the corruption is right out in the open.
Trump's defensive response over the jet has proven so controversial that it's even bothered some of his staunchest supporters within the MAGA movement.
Earlier this week, far-right conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer told Politico that she found the reports "concerning" and later took to X to address the matter in more detail.
Though she assured her followers that she would "take a bullet" for Trump, "we cannot accept a $400 million 'gift' from jihadists in suits" because "the Qataris fund the same Iranian proxies in Hamas and Hezbollah who have murdered US Service Members."
Far-right provocateur Tim Pool—who has lately had a place during official White House press briefings—also criticized the move, sharing Trump's Truth Social post with his followers and noting that the administration's move "bothers basically everyone."
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social
@TimmyFiveTimes/X
