KEY POINTS
- The Trump family struck a deal late last month to build a luxury golf resort in Qatar
- There are suggestions Trump has sold the presidency "to the highest bidder"
- Others say Trump will even sell sensitive information to US adversaries
President Donald Trump and his administration have been facing heightened pressure from critics, as they slam the former's decision to accept the private jet given as a "gift" by the Qatari royal family to the Republican frontman.
Backlash mounted over the weekend as Trump insisted that he shouldn't refuse gifts and should be grateful to Qatar for their gift. He also claimed that the 747-8 jumbo jet was actually a donation to the Defense Department, and not to him personally.
However, there have been questions on the royal gift potentially having constitutional conflicts.
Trump's "price is right" moment in question
As the president continues to insist that it would be "stupid" to reject a "generous" donation from the Qatari royals, people are using Elon Musk-owned X to express their concerns.
Attorney Tristan Snell said there may be a connection between the Trump Organization's multi-billion-dollar golf resort project in Qatar and the gifted jet.
Last week — Trump announces he’s building a $5.5 billion golf resort in Qatar
— Tristan Snell (@TristanSnell) May 11, 2025
Today — Qatar announces it’s giving Trump a $400 million private jet
The American presidency is literally for sale to the highest bidder
The Trump family struck a deal late last month to build a luxury golf resort in Qatar despite the potential conflicts of interest that many have raised in recent weeks over his foreign business dealings.
"The American presidency is literally for sale to the highest bidder," Snell wrote of the potential link between the two developments.
Prominent podcaster Tyler Cohen called it "likely the most blatant example of bribery in modern presidential history."
Trump is accepting a luxury jumbo jet as a gift from Qatar that will be transferred for his personal use.
— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) May 11, 2025
It is likely the most blatant example of bribery in modern presidential history. pic.twitter.com/xFYtUs77Uz
Former GOP House member Joe Walsh also weighed in on the matter, saying the president "is who he is," wherein he will sell even the nation's "most sensitive intelligence to our enemies if he could personally profit from it."
Walsh added that the more disturbing part of the problem was that Republicans will not say anything about his questionable actions.
Trump is who he is. He’d sell our most sensitive intelligence to our enemies if he could personally profit from it. Of course Trump will accept a $400 million luxury jet from Qatar. Trump is a traitor. But here’s what’s worse. No Republican will say a thing. None of them will.👇 pic.twitter.com/3olL98mFpZ
— Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) May 12, 2025
Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts took advantage of the backlash, calling out Trump for his "corrupt and unconstitutional" acceptance of the gift.
"He's making deals for himself while making life less affordable for you," she wrote Monday.
The official X handle of the Republicans Against Trump nonprofit posted an old video of Trump calling on Qatar to end its funding of terrorism and extremist groups. "Turns out terrorism's not a problem if the price is right," the group wrote.
Donald Trump in 2017: Qatar has been a funder of terrorism at a very high level.
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) May 13, 2025
Today: Accepts a $400 million jet from Qatar, praises its leadership, and is set to visit it as one of the first countries in his second term while his family builds a luxury golf resort there.… pic.twitter.com/WiXBuWuzpd
The U.S. president has been receiving constant criticism in recent weeks due to his actions around various issues, including his foreign policies, trade-relation orders, and his federal downsizing.
