US Senator Susan Collins, Republican from Maine, questions Secretary of Well being and Human Companies Robert F. Kennedy Jr., throughout a Senate Committee on Well being, Training, Labor, and Pensions listening to on the President’s proposed finances request for fiscal yr 2026 for the Division of Well being and Human Companies, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, Could 14, 2025.
Jim Watson | Afp | Getty Photos
Sen. Susan Collins of Maine on Thursday captured the rising sense of frustration amongst Republicans in Congress over President Donald Trump‘s plan to simply accept a $400 million jet from the royal household of Qatar to be transformed into Air Drive One.
“The transaction strikes me as being rife with political espionage, moral and constitutional issues,” Collins mentioned In an interview with NBC Information.
“The aircraft must be totally scrubbed to make sure that listening units had not been implanted. That might take a substantial amount of time, to ensure that it meets the safety requirements that the president wants,” she added.
“In the end, I do not perceive why we might pursue this for the brand new plane that the president wants.”
Collins mentioned that whereas she understands Trump’s “frustration” with Boeing taking a very long time to provide a brand new presidential aircraft, she doesn’t assume a present jet is the fitting resolution.
When requested if Congress ought to vote on the legality of the reward, Collins mentioned she has not heard of any plans to take action.
FILE – A Boeing 747 with the colour scheme of planes utilized by the Qatari royal household is seen Friday, Could 2, 2025 at San Antonio Worldwide Airport in San Antonio, Texas.
Brandon Lingle | The San Antonio Categorical-Information | AP
Trump’s choice to simply accept the reward has sparked fierce controversy over the legality, ethics and nationwide safety implications of what can be the biggest overseas reward ever acquired by the U.S. authorities.
Trump has mentioned the aircraft shall be formally given to the U.S. Division of Protection, after which transferred to his presidential library basis on the finish of his second time period. This manner, the palatial jet is rarely owned personally by Trump.
On Tuesday, Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer introduced that he’s putting a hold on Trump’s nominees to the Division of Justice to protest the jet reward, calling it a “grave nationwide safety menace.”
Earlier this week, Republican Sen. Ron Johnson, Wisc., known as the reward “a really odd provide.” One other Republican, Sen. Rand Paul, Ky., mentioned on Fox Information that he hopes the president will reject it.
Collins additionally questioned the timeline and necessity of Trump getting a brand new Air Drive One which can not even be completed its retrofitting right into a presidential aircraft by the point his time period ends.
“That is difficult,” she added.
