The American Spectator; "If the concern is truly about foreign influence, then discuss gifts and donations made during the Clinton, Obama, and Biden administrations as well."
"In 2011, the Clinton Foundation accepted a $1 million donation from Qatar while Hillary Clinton was serving as Secretary of State. That donation was not reported to the State Department, despite rules requiring such disclosures. Although the gift raised concerns, it received little media coverage and quickly faded from public view." . . .
"Recently, the U.S. Department of Defense received a Boeing 747-8 jet from the government of Qatar, valued at $400 million. The plane is now in San Antonio, where it will undergo about $1 billion in upgrades to become the next Air Force One.
"Although official statements have confirmed that the aircraft is not for Donald Trump’s personal use, some media reports have treated the gift as if it were. These articles describe it as an unusual and possibly unethical donation, ignoring both precedent and context. The truth, however, tells a completely different story.
"The jet will eventually be moved to Trump’s presidential library in 2029 after its use as an official government plane. Despite this, Democrats are framing the story to suggest Trump is personally benefiting from foreign gifts — a claim that overlooks similar past examples involving other presidents.
"This jet transfer fits into a much larger and long-standing pattern of deep financial ties between Qatar and various branches of the U.S. government — ties that existed long before Trump and have continued under Democratic and Republican administrations alike.
"One major example is the Al Udeid Air Base, the largest American military facility in the Middle East, located in Qatar. Qatar has invested over $8 billion into the base, which has supported U.S. military operations in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan. In 2022, President Biden named Qatar a “Major Non-NATO Ally,” a status that strengthens military and diplomatic cooperation.
"That same year, Qatar Airways signed a $20 billion deal with Boeing, a move praised by Biden for supporting over 35,000 American jobs. In 2019 alone, U.S. exports to Qatar hit $6.5 billion, with Qatar purchasing more than $3 billion worth of American military equipment, including Apache helicopters and air defense systems." . . .
"The fixation over the Jet isn’t a debate over ethics — it’s a difference in how stories are told depending on the person involved."
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