Democrats are planning to fly a banner that reads “Qatar-a-lago” over President Trump’s Florida estate on Wednesday after the leader said he would accept a $400 million jet from the Qatari government.
Democratic lawmakers and operatives — and even some Republicans — have questioned the safety and ethics of the president accepting a foreign gift, which he plans to use for Air Force One and keep for his presidential library once he leaves office.
“His corruption is a slap in the face to the millions of Americans who are struggling to get by and put food on the table,” Ken Martin, Democratic National Committee (DNC) chair said in a Wednesday statement.
“Today, the DNC is highlighting what foreign autocracies around the world already know: Trump has no loyalty to the American people, national security, or the Constitution – his only allegiance is to his bank account and his billionaire buddies,” Martin continued. “Whether it’s billionaires at home or governments abroad, Trump won’t hesitate to sell out America’s working families to the highest bidder.”
The sky banner trolling the gift will fly for four hours from 11:00 am EST to 3:00 p.m. EST. near Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Fla.
“For a party so obsessed with carbon emissions, this foolish stunt flies in the face of everything they claim to champion,” White House spokesperson Harrison Fields told The Hill.
The Constitution states that accepting a gift from an overseas power requires congressional approval. However, Trump has not requested permission to receive the plane, an offering made months after his family business agreed to develop a multi-billion dollar golf course in the Middle Eastern country.
Trump violated foreign contribution rules numerous times throughout his first term in office. It’s unclear how Congress will handle the Qatari jet gift that the president said he would be “stupid” to not accept.
