Topline
President Donald Trump arrived Wednesday in Qatar, as he’s made clear he wants the $400 million plane the country is expected to gift him, despite bipartisan criticism of security and conflict-of-interest concerns.
Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani (R) receives US President Donald Trump in the Qatari … More
Key Facts
Trump met with the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamin bin Hamad Al Thani, who greeted him on the tarmac after a short flight from Saudi Arabia Wednesday.
The visit comes as Qatar has offered to donate a $400 million luxury jet for Trump’s use while Boeing builds new Air Force Ones.
Trump complimented the marble in a Qatari royal court building and the camels that greeted him upon arrival, and he and bin Hamad Al Thani both expressed a desire for more peace in the region, according to a pool report.
Trump, who has a well-known fascination with large private jets, has insisted he will accept the gift—despite growing bipartisan concerns, even among some of his staunchest supporters—telling reporters earlier this week he would be “stupid” not to accept the plane.
Ahead of Wednesday’s visit, he shared a post on Truth Social comparing the plane to the Resolute Desk, a gift from the U.K.’s Queen Victoria, and the Statue of Liberty, a gift from France.
As Trump spends the day in Qatar, the Democratic National Committee said it will fly a “Qatar-a-Lago” banner near Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach.
Tangent
Trump’s personal business in the Middle East, including Qatar, has come under heightened scrutiny ahead of his four-day visit to the region. The MGX investment fund, backed by the Qatari government, recently invested $2 billion in Binance using a stablecoin from Trump’s World Liberty Financial crypto project. Trump told The New York Times Wednesday from Air Force One, en route to Qatar, he didn’t “know anything about” the deal, but said “I’m a big crypto fan, I will tell you.” Trump is set to conclude his visit to the Middle East in the United Arab Emirates Thursday.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
