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Is The Qatari 747 Gift Saga A Win-Win?
Or is it a bribe? Or grift?
The nation of Qatar started a firestorm when it offered to gift an elaborate Boeing 747 jet to President Trump. The president insinuated that he would take the jet and put it into a trust from which he could use it as Air Force One during the remainder of his presidency. After his term is over, the jet will then be in the care of the Trump Presidential Library. This deal has caused bribery and graft allegations among the President’s opponents and allies. There have been complaints that the Qataris are trying to buy off the president under the shadow that Qatar has a history of supporting Islamic terrorists across the Middle East.
Some say that taking the plane is a good idea and will save the country money. Others say that it is a clear violation of the Foreign Emoluments Clause in the Constitution. But what if this jet deal is a win-win?
Hear me out.
Almost everyone is assuming that the Qatari government has nefarious motivations for offering a decked out 747 to the president of the United States. But further research has unearthed a more mundane reason for the deal. The Qataris want to offload the jet to save money on their own end. No bribes. No corruption. Just business.
