Former VP Mike Pence calls the $400 million Qatari jet gift ‘a bad idea’ that Trump should turn down

Former VP Mike Pence calls the 0 million Qatari jet gift ‘a bad idea’ that Trump should turn down


Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence speaks in observance of Constitution Day at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, U.S., September 17, 2024. 

Seth Herald | Reuters

Former Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday that President Donald Trump should turn down the gift of a $400 million jet from the royal family of Qatar, citing national security concerns.

“Qatar has a long history of playing both sides,” Pence said in an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “The very idea that we would accept an Air Force One from Qatar I think is inconsistent with our security, with our intelligence needs … I think it’s just a bad idea, and my hope is the president will think better of it.”

Trump’s plan to accept the lavish Qatari jumbo jet, a Boeing 747-8, and convert it to be used as Air Force One has sparked fierce controversy over the legality, ethics and national security implications of what would be the largest foreign gift ever received by the U.S. government.

Trump previously said any acceptance of the aircraft would be due to delays at U.S. manufacturer Boeing.

“There are profound issues, the potential for intelligence gathering, the need to ensure the president of the United States is safe and secure as he travels around the world,” Pence said. “My hope is the president reconsiders it. I think if Qatar wants to make a gift to the United States, they ought to take that $400 million and plow it into infrastructure on our military base.”

Trump said the plane will be formally given to the U.S. Department of Defense. Once Trump ends his second term as president, the ownership of the gift is expected to be transferred to the Trump presidential library foundation. By doing so, the palatial jet would never be owned personally by Trump.

“This highly respected country is donating the plane to the United States Air Force/ Defense Department, AND NOT TO ME,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social Sunday. “By so doing, they are saving our country, and the American Taxpayer, hundreds of millions of dollars.”



Source

Stock futures climb marginally after Trump-Xi meeting in South Korea: Live updates
World

Stock futures climb marginally after Trump-Xi meeting in South Korea: Live updates

Stock futures moved higher marginally Thursday as U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded their meeting in Busan, South Korea. This also comes as investors digested a batch of Big Tech earnings and the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 37 points, or 0.07%. […]

Read More
Trump orders Pentagon to resume nuclear weapons testing, citing rival nations’ programs
World

Trump orders Pentagon to resume nuclear weapons testing, citing rival nations’ programs

File photo of a U.S. LGM-30G Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile inside a silo about 60 miles from Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota. Universal History Archive | Universal Images Group | Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday directed the Pentagon to restart nuclear weapons testing “on an equal basis,” citing testing […]

Read More
Trump cuts fentanyl tariffs on China to 10%, says U.S. reached rare earths deal with Beijing
World

Trump cuts fentanyl tariffs on China to 10%, says U.S. reached rare earths deal with Beijing

BUSAN, SOUTH KOREA – OCTOBER 30: U.S. President Donald Trump (R) speaks with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a bilateral meeting at Gimhae Air Base on October 30, 2025 in Busan, South Korea. Andrew Harnik | Getty Images News U.S. President Donald Trump said he has reached a 1-year agreement with China on rare earths […]

Read More