Qatar Is Giving Trump a Plane, but Don't Worry, It's Definitely Not a Bribe

Most politicians go out of their way to avoid appearing corrupt. Corruption is supposed to be a bad thing, but President Donald Trump seems to have found a way around that perception. News broke in mid-May that the president was planning to accept a luxury Boeing 747 jet from Qatar for use as Air Force One.

The plane would be one of the largest gifts ever received from a foreign government, and some reports have also suggested that Trump would use the plane after leaving office, although he's now denied it. Here's what we know about the plane and why Qatar might have offered it.

Qatari officials have, perhaps wisely, not offered much in the way of a public explanation for their decision to send Trump a $400 million gift. It's possible they simply decided to send the gift because of their fondness for the president, although many of Trump's opponents have suggested that the plane could be a conflict of interest at best, or a vehicle for corruption at worst.

Trump, meanwhile, has suggested that the gift is simply too good to turn down. "I mean, I could be a stupid person and say, 'No, we don't want a free, very expensive airplane,'" he told reporters, according to NPR. "I thought it was a great gesture."

Trump has also said that the plane was not a gift to him, but was instead a gift to the Defense Department in acknowledgement of all the security the U.S. supplies for the region.

"I think it's a great gesture from Qatar. I appreciate it very much. I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer," Trump said.

Trump also said that the jet engines on Air Force One were old and expensive to maintain, and furthermore, that Boeing had faced delays in sending replacements. He has reportedly been frustrated by delays in replacing Air Force One through other means.

Although Trump has claimed that nothing illicit is happening and doesn't seem too concerned about the appearance of corruption, some in the Democratic Party have made it clear that they don't want Trump to accept the plane.

Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said these kinds of gifts from foreign governments were expressly forbidden in the Constitution.

"Air Force One is more than just a plane — it's a symbol of the presidency and of the United States itself. Any president who accepts this kind of gift, valued at $400 million, from a foreign government creates a clear conflict of interest, raises serious national security questions, invites foreign influence, and undermines public trust in our government," said senators Brian Schatz, Chris Coons, Cory Booker, and Chris Murphy.

Most presidents probably wouldn't have accepted a plane from Qatar because they were worried it could affect their judgment about the country. Trump doesn't seem to have those same concerns, regardless of how corrupt or not the gift might be.