AIR FORCE ZERO And Donald Trump

Commentary By Arthur Piccolo

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Tues. May 13, 2025: There are scandals. There are sellouts. And then there’s Air Force Zero – a Qatari so called royal family – owned, luxury 747 about to be handed over to Donald Trump like a golden trophy from a foreign monarchy to their favorite American strongman. A $400 million jet wrapped in corruption, delivered with a wink, and shamelessly accepted with open arms.

Let’s be clear: a sitting president accepting a massive foreign gift from a country – whose government his business empire just so happens to be partnering with – is not diplomacy. It’s a bribe in broad daylight. Trump’s defenders call it a “temporary replacement” for Air Force One. But everyone knows what this is: a glittering palace in the sky that will later park itself at the Trump Presidential Library and, by extension, remain within the reach of Trump himself. And bet on it, he will continue to use it until his last breath.

Imagine Franklin Roosevelt accepting a gold train from Mussolini, or Reagan being handed a private jet from the Saudi royal family? Unthinkable! But with Trump, it’s ‘A-OK.’ And his untrue excuse? “It’s legal.”

Spare us. Slapping a fig leaf of compliance over a $400 million foreign gift doesn’t change what this is: a dictator buying influence, and a U.S. president cashing in.

The Emoluments Clause – a vital guardrail in the U.S.  Constitution – makes clear that no federal official can accept gifts from foreign states without congressional consent. This plane isn’t a gift to America. It’s a payoff to Trump. It’s a down payment on future favors and his business interests. It’s a middle finger to transparency, to the law, and to anyone who still believes the presidency is a public trust. Will the Republican Congress approve it?

Call it what it is: Air Force Zero – blessed by corruption, flown straight into the heart of American democracy. To every Republican who stays silent? You’re passengers on the same doomed flight.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Arthur Piccolo is the President of the Bowling Green Association of New York and a frequent contributor to News Americas