For almost 250 years, the Constitution has been a symbol of national pride, protecting the rights of American citizens and preventing tyranny from seizing our republic. President Donald Trump, however, has recently been testing the boundaries of the Constitution and challenging the courts that define American law. His latest move, accepting a 400 million dollar gift from Qatar in the form of a Boeing 747 aircraft, is an unacceptable act that jeopardizes the future of the United States.
First, it’s important to understand Qatar’s motives. When a nation spends 200 billion dollars on hosting a World Cup and several hundred million on a gift to a foreign president, one cannot exactly call this “[an act] of goodwill to others.” The U.S. Department of State notes that the investments were likely made to cover up human rights issues, including widespread censorship, mistreatment of migrant laborers and the restriction of women’s rights.
Qatar will certainly expect favors from the American government, such as favorable policies and trade deals. The nation may seek to improve its image in front of the American people, who could overlook its various abuses due to the gift. Elliot Strand (II) sees the situation similarly, saying, “[Qatar] want[s] Trump to be more favorable to their country and make trade deals with them. […] Why else would you give a country 400 million dollar[s]?”
Most critically, accepting this gift from Qatar is blatantly unconstitutional. According to the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution: “No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.”
President Trump is clearly a “person holding office” accepting a “present” from a “foreign State” without any “Consent of the Congress,” violating a clause that predates even the Bill of Rights. The framers of the Constitution believed this clause was necessary to prevent tyranny and foreign influence. By receiving this gift, President Trump is opening the doors to corruption. As Boston Latin School civics teacher Ms. Catherine Arnold puts it: “If he can do whatever he wants, where’s the rule of law?”
Trump is sending a clear message by accepting Qatar’s gift. After cutting critical humanitarian assistance by slashing U.S. Aid for International Development in the name of “America first” and “government efficiency,” he is now accepting a jumbo jet from a foreign country for his personal pleasure. Ms. Arnold remarks, “This is unprecedented, in terms of a president being willing to accept a gift of such magnitude from a foreign country.” This gesture makes a mockery of the working-class Americans who voted for him and all the people suffering in the current economy.
If Trump really puts America first, he would make decisions that benefit the people and uphold the Constitution. Instead, by replacing Air Force One with a Qatari plane instead of an American one, Trump is choosing foreign governments over his duty to the United States.
All this being said, some are still not convinced that this Boeing plane is cause for alarm. BLS Latin teacher Mr. Alan Chavero argues that “a gift is a gift” and points to controversies surrounding Hunter Biden selling art: “[T]hat […] was money laundering [and] buying favors, how is that different?” Indeed, any allegations of millionaire investors handing money over to relatives of political officials are definitely worth investigating. That, however, is not on the same scale as an entire foreign government attempting to give a 400 million dollar “gift” to the president. Blatant violations of the Constitution and bribes simply cannot be tolerated if democracy is to be preserved in the United States.
The normalization of actions like this is dangerous. It holds politicians less accountable for their actions and makes way for worse. As young and highly educated leaders in our community, BLS students should be concerned about local and national issues. While they may often seem trivial on a day-to-day basis, they will become more and more significant as time passes.