Sen. Susan Collins has joined the bipartisan outcry over President Donald Trump’s plan to accept a gift of a $400 million luxury jet from the government of Qatar.
“The transaction strikes me as rife with political espionage, ethical and constitutional problems,” the Republican senator from Maine told News Center Maine in a video interview.
The offer of the jet came during Trump’s four-day trip through Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, which was the first major international trip of his presidency.
At a series of lavish state events, the U.S. president celebrated his business deals with Gulf royals and admired their wealth. Political discussion in the region, where Trump and his family have significant business interests, centered on economic and security partnerships unmarred by talk of human rights abuses, which have featured on the agendas of past presidents visiting the region, according to reporting from the Associated Press.
Back at home, lawmakers from both parties have raised concerns that the gift is effectively a bribe and that it presents a potential security risk.
“The plane would need to be thoroughly scrubbed to ensure that listening devices have not been implanted. That would take a great deal of time to make sure that it meets the security standards,” Collins said.
Trump has insisted that he’s smart to accept the plane from Qatar and use it as Air Force One.
“Why should our military, and therefore our taxpayers, be forced to pay hundreds of millions of Dollars when they can get it for FREE,” he posted on his social media site during his Middle East trip.
Air Force One is almost 40 years old, and replacements have been delayed. While the jet from Qatar might be ready sooner, Collins said it would still be some time before it could function as Air Force One.
“One of the things I wondered is whether or not the changes that are necessary would even be completed before the president leaves office. This is complicated,” Collins said.
