Most Voters Have Concerns Over Trump’s Qatar Plane

A majority of U.S. adults have said they have concerns over U.S. President Donald Trump’s acceptance of a luxury $400 million plane, according to a survey by Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll, fielded May 14-15. Media reports that the plane is currently at the airport in San Antonio, Texas, where preparations for its overhaul so that Trump can use it as the next Air Force One could already be underway.

More than six in ten respondents said that they thought Trump’s acceptance of the Boeing 747 from the government of Qatar raises ethical questions about corruption. Meanwhile, just under four in ten said that they consider the gift as a win for U.S. taxpayers who now do not have to pay for a new Air Force One plane. The different stances vary across the aisle, with 85 percent of Democrats stating it was problematic, versus 62 percent of Independents and 40 percent of Republicans who thought the same.

Experts say retrofitting such a plane to make it suitable for use as an Air Force One could take years of work, while shortcuts taken could lead to national security risks. Democrats are seeking to block the deal in various ways, with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer having proposed on Monday a bill to prevent the use of a foreign aircraft for Air Force One.