Tag Archives: Qatar

ABC News reports: President Trump was asked on Tuesday when he expected to be flying on the “new Air Force One” as a luxury jet gifted from Qatar is being retrofitted for the president’s use. “They say February, maybe. Much sooner than the others. The others are being built,” Trump responded. Asked how much it will cost to retrofit the …

The Al-Monitor reports: Iran retaliated on Monday for the US strikes targeting three of its nuclear sites, firing at least six missiles at American bases in Qatar. Iran has launched six missiles toward US bases in Qatar, reported Axios, citing an Israeli official. Explosions were heard over Qatar capital Doha, according to both Agence France-Presse and Reuters. There was no …

CBS News reports: The U.S. Embassy in Qatar warned American citizens on Monday to shelter in place. “Out of an abundance of caution we recommend American citizens shelter in place until further notice,” the embassy said in a notice posted online on Monday. The State Department had earlier warned U.S. citizens around the world to “exercise increased caution,” after the …

Reuters reports: It will cost hundreds of millions of dollars to retrofit a Qatari luxury Boeing 747 jetliner to fly as the new Air Force One, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said on Thursday. Last month, the U.S. military accepted the gift from Qatar to transport U.S. President Donald Trump. Retrofitting the 13-year-old plane, which has a luxurious interior, will …

The Washington Post reports: Despite claims by the Defense Department to the contrary, legal teams representing the U.S. and Qatari governments have not finalized an agreement for transferring the luxury Boeing 747-8 jetliner that President Donald Trump wants for Air Force One amid outstanding requests by Qatar for Washington to clarify the transaction’s terms, said officials familiar with the matter. …

CBS News reports: The Defense Department said Wednesday it has accepted a Boeing jet from Qatar that will be retrofitted and used to transport President Trump. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell [photo]said in a statement that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth accepted the Boeing 747 “in accordance with all federal rules and regulations.” “The Department of Defense will work to ensure …

Ynet News reports: During the year leading up to the U.S. presidential election, only 10% of lobbying efforts by agents working on behalf of Qatar were directed at conservative-leaning media. However, after Donald Trump’s victory, this focus shifted dramatically: over half of their outreach was aimed at outlets like Fox News, the New York Post, and the Daily Mail. Qatar’s …

CNN reports: The Trump administration first approached Qatar to inquire about acquiring a Boeing 747 that could be used as Air Force One by President Donald Trump, four sources familiar with the discussions told CNN. That’s contrary to the narrative from the president that Qatar reached out and offered the jet as a “gift” to him. After Trump took office …

Reuters reports: US Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer on Monday introduced a bill that would prevent any foreign aircraft from being used as Air Force One, the aircraft that transports the US president. Schumer introduced the “Presidential Airlift Security Act” after news last week that President Donald Trump planned to accept a $400 million airplane from Qatar, which legal experts said …

“I think first we got to remember who Qatar is. We’ve got a military base there. I have members of our immediate family that have deployed to the region, but Qatar has a long history of playing both sides. They support Hamas. They supported al Qaeda. Qatar has actually financed pro-Hamas protests on American campuses across the United States. “And …

The Hill reports: “I just want to say, it was a radical left story,” Trump told Fox News’s Bret Baier in Abu Dhabi during a stop on his diplomatic trip to the Middle East this week. “The people here, to show you how crazy it is, they would like me to pay a billion dollars.” He cited former President Reagan’s …

The Associated Press reports: When President Donald Trump addressed U.S. and Qatari troops at a military base in Qatar on Thursday, he assured the rank and file that “we don’t care if you’re politically correct.” Anyone needing proof of that could have watched comedian Theo Von’s routine just a little earlier. Wearing a black T-shirt and backward baseball cap, the …

Newsweek reports: The Boeing 747-8 being offered to U.S. President Donald Trump by Qatar once served the Qatari royal family and has been sitting unsold for years. The jet, a lavishly configured version of Boeing’s largest passenger aircraft, has been lingering without a buyer since being put up for sale in 2020, according to aircraft listings and aviation analysts. The …

The Daily Beast reports: President Donald Trump thinks Air Force One is impressive—but not when it’s parked next to planes owned by Middle Eastern royals. “The plane that you’re on right now is almost 40 years old,” Trump told Hannity aboard Air Force One while en route to the Middle East. “When you land and you see Saudi Arabia, and …

From a 2017 report by The Guardian: Donald Trump has accused Qatar of sponsoring terrorism at the highest levels, in an extraordinary escalation of the diplomatic row with one America’s most important military partners in the Middle East. “So we had a decision to make: do we take the easy road, or do we finally take a hard but necessary …

“The constitution in Article II talks about the president can’t take emoluments or gifts from foreign leaders. And so, there is a provision in the Constitution that says you can’t do this. And so, the question is, can you do it only if it’s only for official purposes? It’s not worth the appearance of impropriety, whether it’s improper or not. …

The Washington Post reports: President Donald Trump on Monday praised Qatar for offering his administration a free luxury jet, but current and former U.S. military, defense and Secret Service officials said he will likely have to waive existing security specifications to be able to use the plane. Flight records show that the Qatari jet was moved five weeks ago to …

Agence France-Presse reports: US President Donald Trump on Monday dismissed ethics concerns over his plans to receive a new Air Force One plane as a gift from Qatar. “It’s a great gesture,” he said when asked if Qatar would expect anything in exchange. “I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer. I mean, I could …

Steve Benen writes for MSNBC: In Donald Trump’s first term, the president cultivated an unexpectedly amusing list of incidents related to airplanes. I actually maintained a list, documenting a curious array of stories in which the Republican suggested that F-35s are literally invisible, whined about the complexity of piloting, referenced F-52s that didn’t exist outside of video games, complained to …

The Daily Beast reports: Democrats, who have long accused Trump of blurring the lines between public service and personal profit, are decrying the gift as outright corruption. Trump reportedly plans to transfer the roughly $400 million plane to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation shortly before leaving office. “This isn’t a good idea even if the plane was being donated to …