If we’re keeping a list of worrisome moves by President Donald Trump, his latest might crawl somewhere near the top. The Trump administration is preparing to accept a multi-million dollar gift from a foreign country, and it begs the question: Could any other president get away with this...especially our first Black president?
The president will receive a generous gift in the form of a $400 million jumbo jet from the royal family of Qatar— the Middle Eastern country known for its natural resources— ABC first reported. While Trump defended the move on social media, calling it a “very public and transparent transaction,” many folks wonder how his new ride tracks with past presidential gifts....especially those received by former President Barack Obama.
In truth, receiving gifts from foreign countries isn’t as uncommon as you may think. In fact, from President Abraham Lincoln to former President George W. Bush, many American presidents have a long history of doing so. But since Trump’s jet marks the most expensive gift to a president in American history, let’s take a look at how it compares to gifts given to Obama.
Obama Took Gifts Too...
Under the U.S. Constitution’s emoluments clause, federal officials are prohibited from accepting gifts, titles or other benefits from foreign governments without Congressional approval. But as the president who’s known for his diplomacy, you can understand why Obama was offered plenty of gifts during his tenure, although he didn’t keep many of them.
Like several of his predecessors, Obama’s presidential library has thousands of gifts. This includes silver cufflinks, Christmas ornaments and a double decker bus pencil sharpener, according to the Guardian. In his final days in office, folks were lining up around the block to give the first Black president something to remember.
Obama and his family did, however, turned over $2,500 in Cuban gifts to the U.S. Office of the Chief of Protocol in 2016, according to VOA News. The gifts were from Cuban President Raul Castro to honor the reestablished relationship between the two countries after decades of bad blood.
Obama set his own record for the most expensive gift in 2015 when Saudi King Salman presented him a horse sculpture made of gold-plated sterling silver, rubies, obsidian, diamonds and yellow sapphires, according to BBC. The sculpture, along with a chronometer, a set of golf clubs and bag, was estimated at almost $523,000, making it the most pricey gift to an American president, according to the U.S. State Department. That is...until Trump.
Backlash to Trump’s Qatari Jet
Because U.S. relations in the Middle East are already on rocky grounds, many of Trump’s own allies are calling him out for accepting the $400 million jet. Laura Loomer, the conservative activist who takes responsibility for getting the president to fire top political officials, even criticized him on X.
She wrote, “I love President Trump. I would take a bullet for him. But, I have to call a spade a spade.” Continuing, Loomer called the Qatar royal family “jihadists in suits” before adding, “This is really going to be such a stain on the admin if this is true... I’m so disappointed.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told ABC News, “Any gift given by a foreign government is always accepted in full compliance with all applicable laws.” She continued, “President Trump’s Administration is committed to full transparency.”
Many folks see Trump’s new plane as a bribe, but when has criticism ever convinced the president to change his mind? After the plane arrives to the U.S., it will be transferred to Air Force for modifications, multiple sources familiar with the arrangement told ABC.
Before the end of his term, the plane will fins a final home in the Trump Presidential Library Foundation.