House Speaker Mike Johnson has defended US President Donald Trump's intention to accept a lavishly decorated Boeing 747-8 from Qatar, estimated to be worth $400 million, as a gift to the head of state. He said he does not believe the gift raises ethical concerns. This was reported by Bloomberg, according to UNN.
Details
Trump's first major foreign trip to the Middle East this week has drawn criticism for a number of business deals his family has made in the region, and for the president's intention to accept a 747 aircraft from the government of Qatar as a gift. He said he would temporarily use the plane as Air Force One.
Johnson called the upcoming gift "nothing more than a regular donation to the US government from a foreign country, not a personal gift to Trump."
As I understand it, this is not a personal gift to the president, it is a gift to the United States. Other countries are constantly giving us gifts.
He added that the Trump family's business dealings in the region are "completely open."
They (the family of US President Donald Trump - ed.) are not trying to hide anything
Addition
This week, Donald Trump is touring Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates — all countries where the Trump Organization has recently sought new investments. Trump's sons run the Trump Organization while their father holds a leadership position in the White House.
Since last year, the Trump family business has announced the construction of a new Trump Tower in Dubai, a luxury golf resort in Qatar, and real estate projects in Riyadh.
The huge profits of Trump and his family from his various cryptocurrency projects, including Trump's memecoin, a stablecoin project that brought billions to the business, as well as other foreign business deals, have sparked outrage from Democrats, who have called them corrupt.
Recall
Donald Trump has signed agreements with Qatar on economic cooperation worth over $1.2 trillion. As the White House said, these agreements will promote innovation, American leadership and put America on the path to a new Golden Age.