1. United States
2. Iowa
3. Letter

The unsold Boeing 747-8 offered as a gift to the U.S. government by Qatar is far from a generous act of goodwill. This aircraft previously served the Qatari royal family and has been languishing on the market for years without finding a buyer since 2020. It seems Qatar aims to offload an aging, high-maintenance plane they have struggled to sell under the guise of a "gift." Accepting this aircraft would raise serious ethical and legal concerns about violation of the emoluments clause, which prohibits U.S. officials from receiving gifts or profits from foreign states. President Trump's eagerness to bypass processes and "save taxpayer money" by accepting this plane is misguided at best. The gift's true purpose appears to be currying favor through an expensive present the donor could not otherwise sell. Extensive modifications costing tens of millions would still be required to bring the plane up to Air Force One standards with secure communications and defenses. This makes Qatar's offering more trouble than it's worth. I urge you to exercise proper oversight and take action to prevent this potentially unconstitutional acceptance of an emolument that would undermine democratic norms. The American people deserve full transparency about foreign entanglements that could unduly influence U.S. leadership.