MAGA Isn't Happy About Trump's Possible Gift From Qatar

Laura Loomer, Ben Shapiro, Mark Levin add to criticism of Trump plan to accept luxury jet
Posted May 13, 2025 7:53 AM CDT
Trump Faces Rare MAGA Pushback Over Qatar Gift
Laura Loomer arrives at Philadelphia International Airport, Sept. 10, 2024, in Philadelphia.   (AP Photo/Chris Szagola, File)

That Democrats have been attacking President Trump's plan to accept a luxury jet from Qatar to be used as Air Force One isn't a surprise. The president, however, also is facing serious criticism from the right, including some prominent names within MAGA. One big concern is that the US is getting too close to Qatar, which Israel and others see as a major supporter of Hamas, reports Politico.

  • Ben Shapiro: "Taking sacks of goodies from people who support Hamas, Muslim Brotherhood, Al Jazeera, all the rest, that's not America First," Shapiro said on his popular podcast, reports Axios. Another line: "I think if we switched the names to Hunter Biden and Joe Biden, we'd all be freaking out on the right."

  • Laura Loomer: "I love President Trump. I would take a bullet for him. But, I have to call a spade a spade. We cannot accept a $400 million 'gift' from jihadists in suits," the influential Trump supporter tweeted. "This is really going to be such a stain on the admin if this is true."
  • Mark Levin: The Fox News host and MAGA radio host shared Loomer's tweet and added, "Ditto," notes CNN.
  • Loomer, II: After hearing Trump defend the potential gift on Monday, Loomer told Politico: "Look, I understand the reasoning about not wanting to burden the United States taxpayer with $400 million. But it's going to complicate foreign policy about the designation of the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, which was promised and undelivered in the first Trump administration. It's kind of this elephant in the room as Trump goes to the Middle East."

  • Rand Paul: "I don't think it looks good or smells good," said the Kentucky senator. He told Fox News that the gift might be unconstitutional, adding that it's "not worth the appearance of impropriety."
  • Batya Ungar-Sargon: "This is not a gift"—it's "a bribe," he told Newsmax. Ungar-Sargon is a frequent MAGA advocate on CNN and other outlets.
  • In defense: One Trump ally, speaking anonymously to Politico, dismissed the idea of a quid pro quo: "Trump is able to compartmentalize the Qatar situation," the source says. "He looks at them and says, 'They're a very wealthy country, we've got a big base there, they're investing huge amounts in America, they seem to be well connected to our enemies so if we need to talk to somebody, they're around, they seem to like us, they treat us nicely. They give us lots of things, so on that level, all good.'"
(More President Trump stories.)

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