GOP Senator Criticizes Trump Accepting Luxury Plane From Qatar on Fox News: 'I Hope He Would Reject It'

Republican Senator Rand Paul is criticizing President Donald Trump's intention to accept a $400 million luxury plane from Qatar to use as the Air Force One, saying "it's not worth the appearance of impropriety."

Speaking on Fox News' Jesse Watters Primetime, Paul noted that "the Constitution in article 2 talks about how the president can't take emoluments or gifts from foreign leaders."

"The question is if you can only do this for official purposes. If it came to someone in Congress they can vote and the Ethics Committee can look at it. With this there will have to be some kind of adjudication. This has never been done and it's not like a ride on the plane, it's the entire $400 million dollar plane. I think it's not worth the appearance of impropriety. whether it's improper or not. I don't think it's worth it," Paul added.

The senator went on to question Qatar's leadership in general, saying he "spent time trying not to sell weapons" to the country "because they have human rights violations of their people." "I haven't been a big fan and i wonder if our ability to judge their human rights record will be clouded by this large gifts," Paul added.

Paul reiterated his criticism on Fox Business, saying: "I do think the jet probably sends the wrong signal, and I don't like the look or appearance of it, so I would hope he would reject it. The Constitution specifically says you can't take gifts from foreign leaders."

Trump, however, has defended the decision on Monday, saying the plane is a gift to the Department of Defense and not to him personally. He then dismissed suggestions that the arrangement raises ethical or constitutional concerns.

"They're giving us a free jet," said Trump when asked about the aircraft. "I could say no, no, I want to pay you $400 million, or I could say 'thank you very much," he said before repeatedly characterizing a potential refusal to accept the offer as "stupid." He also cited delays in Boeing's delivery of the next Air Force One as a justification for accepting the gift and said he would "never be one to turn down that kind of offer."

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the legal details behind the gift are "still being worked out," adding that "any donation to this government is always done in full compliance with the law, and we commit ourselves to the utmost transparency, and we will continue to do that," as reported by Reuters.

Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres is already seeking a probe into the matter. Axios reported that Torres has already written to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), the acting Department of Defense inspector general and the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) regarding the matter.

Torres requested an "immediate" review of the reported gift and an advisory opinion on whether accepting it would violate federal ethics rules or the Constitution's Emoluments Clause. The outlet detailed that he also asked recommendations on policy reforms "to prevent the conversion of foreign gifts into private property by current or former presidents." The lawmaker described the episode as a "flying grift."