WASHINGTON–As President Trump actively engages in the corruption of U.S. foreign policy, U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), and Tim Kaine (D-Va.), members of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), on Thursday filed a joint resolution of disapproval (JRD) that would block a $1.9 billion arms sale to Qatar. Qatar has offered to gift Trump a $400 million luxury Boeing 747 jumbo jet for him to use as Air Force One. Reporting suggests the jet would be transferred to Trump’s presidential library in 2029 for his personal use after he leaves office. The Trump Organization also recently signed a $5.5 billion golf course and real estate deal with Dar Global and Qatari Diar, a firm established by Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund.

The sale to Qatar would include eight MQ-9B Armed Drones and associated equipment (including 200 JDAM tail kits, 300 500-lb bombs, and 110 Hellfire II missiles).

“There’s nothing Donald Trump loves more than being treated like a king, and that’s exactly why foreign governments are trying to buy his favor with a luxury jumbo jet and investments in Trump’s crypto scams. This isn’t a gift out of the goodness of their hearts – it’s an illegal bribe that the President of the United States is champing at the bit to accept. That’s unconstitutional and not how we conduct foreign policy. Unless Qatar rescinds their offer of a ‘palace in the sky’ or Trump turns it down, I will move to block this arms sale,” said Murphy.

“Everywhere I go in Virginia, I hear about how worried folks are about price hikes because of President Trump’s tariffs and the massive cuts he’s trying to implement on basic government services, including Medicaid. Meanwhile, he’s hatching secret plans with corrupt foreign governments to enrich himself with crypto deals, golf courses, and a luxury plane?” said Kaine. “I’m glad to be working with my colleagues to force votes on legislation challenging arms sales to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to make it clear that bribing an American president is one of the fastest ways to poison your relationship with the United States. Countries around the world should take notice.”

“This resolution is about more than the sale of weapons, it’s about blocking the sale of the presidency to the highest bidder. If the President himself won’t reject the gift of a $400 million luxury jet as he plans to greenlight a massive weapons transfer to the foreign power who’s giving it to him, then Congress must step in. American foreign policy decisions must be made based on the interests of Americans and our national security – not on a pay-for-play basis,” said Van Hollen.

“American foreign policy cannot be bought by the highest bidder. Any president willing to accept a $400 million gift from a foreign government compromises American interests and undermines public trust,” said Schatz.

“It is a corrupt farce and blatantly unconstitutional for Trump to accept a $400 million ‘flying palace’ from the royal family of Qatar. Until Trump follows the Constitution we will do whatever we can to hold him – and the foreign powers exploiting his greed – accountable,” said Sanders.

Full text of the resolution is available HERE.

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