Is MSNBC whitewashing the $400 million gift to Trump?

[kentuck]

I was just watching a few minutes of Katy Tur on MSNBC to catch the latest headlines and she had Ken Delaney on as the expert reporter. He said it was more of an "appearance" problem than a "legal" problem. Really? I guess the Constitution isn't worth the paper it is written on anymore?

With this type of reporting, we will never defeat these fascists.

It was disappointing.

[Lovie777]

1. Tur is 100% cult member.....

[WiVoter]

4. Yup. I Got As Far As Her Name

Last edited Mon May 12, 2025, 05:05 PM - Edit history (1)

Katy R. Turd

[Trueblue1968]

28. Katie is a trumper in my opinion. I always turn her show off. Fire her and put Joy Reid in her spot.

[Miles Archer]

22. Pelosi got RIGHT IN TUR'S FACE and called her on her fealty to Trump

I think her reaction was something like "I don't think you can say that's a fair accusation."

We all laughed.

Good times. Tur is the WORST. Of ALL OF THE FIRINGS of non-whites on MSNBC, they should shown her the door too.

[vapor2]

2. Comments by her are totally expected

[senseandsensibility]

3. Tur is gonna sanewash trump

because that's her thing. As far as Delanian, I have higher standards for him, so that's disappointing.

[Wingus Dingus]

5. It's an open bribe, so calling it anything other than that is whitewashing, to say the least.

[madamesilverspurs]

6. In this case,

I'm thinking it's not the coverage but the excuses being relayed. Tur reported on Bondi's former job as lobbyist for Qatar, and the administration's thin defense of that blatant conflict. Tur is presently covering the "gift's" deep security concerns. At the moment, I have no problem with her (or MSNBC's) reportage. But, yes, I'll stay tuned.


.

[Silent Type]

7. Sort of agree with MSNBC, if trump doesn't profit from it. I don't really care if it ends up at presidential library.

That's usually where things like this end up. And, I think Reagan's Library has Airforce 1 from his terms.

Now -- if he gets to keep it after office, profits from it in any way, favors Qatar in policies because of it, etc. -- screw him and them.

In short, I think trump will win public discussion with "I'd be stupid not to take it" unless we can say with certainty he'll profit from it.

[Raven]

10. AF1 was a gift to Regan from AMERICA. This gift to Trump is from a foreign country that supports some of

the worst terrorists in the world. I see a difference.

[H2O Man]

11. Exactly.

[Silent Type]

12. So, let's ask for more planes, gold, whatever. I have no problem taking from scum countries as long as trump doesn't

profit.

I'm also be fine with declaring Qatar a terrorist country.

"Supports worst terrorists on earth?" I don't think even Obama or Biden had a hostile relationship with Qatar. In fact, I believe we had strategic alliances with Qatar and at least one large military base there under Obama and Biden.

I'd take the plane and concentrate on healthcare, Social Security, education, etc., and stop with the petty chit that hurts us at polls.

[Raven]

14. "Petty shit"...this is how Trump is let off the hook time and time again. How about we not take the plane and

concentrate on healthcare, SSm etc,etc.

[Silent Type]

15. I think those that did not vote in 2024, or the 5% that went for trump at the last minute, considers this petty chit.

It's the kind of junk that cost us elections.

[kentuck]

23. Are you truly that naive?

They are going to give him a $400 million dollar "palace" in the sky for nothing?

Aren't you just a little bit curious?

[Silent Type]

29. As long as trump doesn't get away with something, I don't care. And he won't because every

investigative reporter will be watching. So, we can yell with conviction and purpose when he tries to sell the gold bathroom and stick the money in his pocket.

As far as "Naive" goes, it's naive to think we'll do well in elections by yapping about BS that doesn't matter.

I'd much rather we concentrate on healthcare, jobs, education, economy, etc. But I'm not naive enough to believe we won't try our best to blow it just like November 2024.

[Silent Type]

30. The really "naive" ones are those that believe doing the same things we did in 2024 will achieve victory

in midterms.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

17. This plane is not going into the library like in the Reagan library

This plane will be available for trump to use after he is out of office

[Silent Type]

18. News articles I've read says it will be donated to Presidential Library. Some are intrepreting that as "continue

to use after office."

ABC-- "In what may be the most valuable gift ever extended to the United States from a foreign government, the Trump administration is preparing to accept a super luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from the royal family of Qatar -- a gift that is to be available for use by President Donald Trump as the new Air Force One until shortly before he leaves office, at which time ownership of the plane will be transferred to the Trump presidential library foundation, sources familiar with the proposed arrangement told ABC News."

Newsweek-- "President Donald Trump has accepted a luxury plane as a "gift" from Qatar's royal family that will be used as Air Force One―but will reportedly continue to use the jet even after he leaves office.

"Officials from the Middle Eastern country said the gift was between governments rather than a personal present to Trump, noting the plane was being given by the Qatari Ministry of Defense to the Pentagon. The Boeing 747-8 jet will be retrofitted to make it suitable for use as the presidential plane, including the addition of heightened security features.

However, the jet will then be donated to Trump's presidential library when he leaves office, meaning he can continue to use it, according to multiple news outlets."

WaPo-- "Such was the case Monday amid reports that the Trump administration is considering accepting a gift of a multi-hundred-million-dollar “palace in the sky” aircraft from Qatar to use as Air Force One. The plane would then, according to an ABC News report Sunday, be transferred to Trump’s presidential library foundation."

[LetMyPeopleVote]

21. Maddow Blog-Trump scrambles to defend luxury jet from Qatar he'll use as Air Force One

The president tried to defend an apparent plan in which he’d get to use a luxury jet from the government of Qatar. It didn’t go well.

Trump's plan to accept a luxury jet from Qatar was endorsed by his attorney general — who also happens to be a former lobbyist for Qatar.

This is unfolding despite the Constitution's Emoluments Clause, which Trump has dismissed as "phony." www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddo...

— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2025-05-12T12:05:33.071Z

Trump's plan to accept a luxury jet from Qatar was endorsed by his attorney general — who also happens to be a former lobbyist for Qatar.

This is unfolding despite the Constitution's Emoluments Clause, which Trump has dismissed as "phony."

Link to tweet

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-scrambles-defend-luxury-jet-qatar-ll-use-air-force-one-rcna206207

In Donald Trump’s first term, the president cultivated an unexpectedly amusing list of incidents related to airplanes. I actually maintained a list, documenting a curious array of stories in which the Republican suggested that F-35s are literally invisible, whined about the complexity of piloting, referenced F-52s that didn’t exist outside of video games, complained to members of Congress that the emir of Kuwait’s plane was bigger than his, and (among other things) got caught lying about Japan buying U.S. fighter jets and lying about Finland doing the same thing.

In his second term, the news at the intersection of Trump and planes is far less funny. NBC News reported:

The Trump administration is preparing to accept a superluxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from the royal family of Qatar as a gift to be used by President Donald Trump as the new Air Force One for presidential travel until shortly before Trump leaves office, according to four sources familiar with the planning. Two of the sources also confirm that ownership of the plane will be transferred to the Trump presidential library foundation once the president ends his second term.

According to a report from ABC News, which was the first to break this story, Attorney General Pam Bondi and other Justice Department lawyers determined that the acceptance of the plane was legally permissible if the Qatari government gifts it to the Defense Department and it is later turned over to the Trump Library Foundation.

This is notable for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the attorney general’s recent professional background: Bondi used to work as a registered lobbyist for foreign clients, including the government of Qatar — the same government that’s apparently preparing to reward Trump with a jet. (Soon after Senate Republicans made her the nation’s chief law enforcement official, Bondi also disbanded the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force.).....

So let me see if I have this straight. The sitting American president is eager to accept the largest foreign gift in the history of the United States, which he intends to keep after he exits the White House, in defiance of the Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution — a black-letter legal provision that the Republican is on record dismissing as “phony.” Trump is prepared to welcome a foreign government’s largess, even as that same country strikes private deals with the president’s family-run business.

This entire arrangement was approved by the president's attorney general — who worked as a well-paid lobbyist for that same country.

It’s against this backdrop that Trump wrote that his critics are “crooked.”

Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, who’s spent months focusing on White House corruption, described these developments as “wildly illegal.” In theory, congressional Republicans — many of whom seemed quite concerned about Qatari gifts to American universities in the recent past — could easily come to the same conclusions.

But it seems more likely that GOP lawmakers will again shrug with indifference.

[Qutzupalotl]

19. It's 100% unconstitutional unless Congress specifically approves.

If that doesn't matter to voters, they are ignorant.

You don't need to prove a quid pro quo. The gift itself is unconstitutional on its face.

[Silent Type]

20. It's not an emolument unless it goes to trump. Take it, sell it, and give proceeds to ACLU for all I care.

[Qutzupalotl]

36. Presidents.do not reallocate proceeds.

Nor can he accept the bribe at all without explicit approval of Congress.

“And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.”

[FHRRK]

24. Obama's library still not done

Miracle Ear will have a free airplane to use the rest of his life.

[SomedayKindaLove]

33. If Loomer doesn't like it

I’m sure lots of MAGA don’t like it. This is a stink bomb for Trump. Especially with the FAA tanking and airports in crisis. We can’t fly in safety anymore, but “I’d be stupid not to” Trump will be floating in the skies in his half a billion dollar playboy lounge?

[lame54]

8. Air Bribe One

[taxi]

9. also a deal with the devil; a faustian deal.

Air Faust One.

[spanone]

13. Our media is more interested in access than truth.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

16. Katy Tur is the property of trump

[Rebl2]

25. Something

I haven’t done in several years, I watched MJ for a few minutes this morning and they brought that stupid jet up and basically saying it would be a REALLY bad idea to accept that jet. One person even said the jet would have to be ripped apart to look for listening devices.

[Ocelot II]

26. Certainly not Nicole Wallace, right this very minute.

She's all over it.

[Hekate]

27. I'm watching Nicolle Wallace. Who are you watching?

[kentuck]

31. I watch Nicolle every day.

She is a kindred soul.

[dem4decades]

32. Let me know when Tur has Norm Eisen on about this, then I'll tune her in.

I doubt Tur would have Norm on, he's too honest.

[mzmolly]

34. I don't watch Katy Tur.

I find her insufferable and her 'reporting' a joke.

[kentuck]

35. In my opinion, Democrats should not debate it.

They should make one short statement about it and leave it there.

"It is illegal. It is unconstitutional. It is wrong."

And let the Republicans debate it...