President Donald Trump’s plan regarding the new Air Force One has drawn criticism from a prominent RINO: former Vice President Mike Pence.
Watch the video down below.
Specifically, Pence has slammed the president’s decision to accept a $400 million luxury jet from Qatar.
He cited Qatar’s ties to Hamas and Al Qaeda and warned that accepting such a gift poses serious national security risks and constitutional concerns.
Although President Trump asserted that the plane would save taxpayer money, Pence bases his objections on concerns about foreign influence in American affairs.
Qatar’s $400 million Boeing 747-8 jet would be the largest foreign gift ever received by a U.S. president.
The Trump administration plans to accept the aircraft for presidential travel and later transfer it to his presidential library after his term ends.
President Trump argues that the arrangement would benefit American taxpayers, stating that the plane would be given to the Department of Defense rather than owned by him personally.
During his NBC “Meet the Press” interview, Pence stated, “First we’ve got to remember who Qatar is. We’ve got a military base there. I have members of our immediate family that have deployed to the region.”
The former VP added, “Qatar has a long history of playing both sides. They support Hamas. They supported Al Qaeda.”
“Qatar has actually financed pro-Hamas protests on American campuses across the United States,” he continued, highlighting why these troubling foreign connections make the gift problematic.
Security experts agree with Pence’s assessment that accepting a foreign government’s aircraft creates significant vulnerabilities.
The former vice president pointed out serious intelligence and security concerns that could arise from using a foreign-sourced aircraft for presidential travel.
Converting the jet into a proper Air Force One would require extensive modifications, potentially costing over $1 billion and taking years to complete, raising questions about the supposed taxpayer savings.
Other issues further complicate the situation. The U.S. Constitution explicitly prohibits public officials from accepting gifts from foreign governments without congressional approval.
The emoluments clause exists precisely to prevent foreign influence over American leadership.
President Trump has defended the arrangement, arguing the aircraft represents significant savings for American taxpayers.
“Why should our military, and therefore our taxpayers, be forced to pay hundreds of millions of Dollars when they can get it for FREE from a country that wants to reward us for a job well done,” he stated.
His administration maintains that the plane would be a gift to the United States, not to Trump personally.
Pence expressed, “There are profound issues, the potential for intelligence gathering, the need to ensure the president of the United States is safe and secure as he travels around the world. My hope is the president reconsiders it.”
“I think if Qatar wants to make a gift to the United States, they ought to take that $400 million and plow it into infrastructure on our military base,” he further stated.
Pence’s relationship with President Trump has been strained since leaving office, particularly after he certified the 2020 election results despite the president’s objections.
Pence: "They support Hamas. They supported Al Qaeda. Qatar has actually financed pro-Hamas protests on college campuses across the US. So the very idea we would accept an Air Force One from Qatar I think is inconsistent with our security, intelligence needs, & my hope is the… pic.twitter.com/477VuWmZsi
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 18, 2025
