Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced Tuesday that he was placing a hold on all of President Donald Trump's Department of Justice nominees until the administration came clean about potential conflicts of interest with the Qatari government.
Schumer's action was in response to the Qatari royal family saying a $400 million Boeing 747 "would be offered free of charge to the U.S. government for use as Air Force One until Boeing can deliver a new plane," said CNN anchor Kasie Hunt. "Then, in a twist, it would be given to Trump's presidential library so that he could continue to use it. But, didn't your mother tell you that there is no such thing as a free lunch? Mine sure did."
Schumer appeared on Hunt's show "The Arena" on Tuesday, where he called the situation "an issue of outright bribery," as well as a security concern.
Schumer called Air Force One "the most sophisticated plane in the world," and claimed, "There are huge security issues if someone else donates it."
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He continued, "In fact, if this happens — and I pray to God that it doesn't because it's such a security risk — they'd have to take apart the entire plane down to the screws, and nuts and bolts, and see if any listening devices were implanted in it. So, it's a huge national security issue. It's an issue of bribery. This is probably the biggest — I'm certain it's the biggest — 'gift' quote, unquote, that has ever been given to a sitting president. And, as your person said, not only is there no free lunch, there's no free Air Force One."
Schumer said he hoped there were some "serious" people in the Trump administration "who take our national security seriously, who will tell Trump he can't do this."
He added that by putting a hold on the Justice Department nominees, Congress will have adequate time to debate the Qatari gift.
"I think the more sunlight that's brought to this issue — they didn't want to make it public — the greater the public outcry there will be. And, hopefully that will persuade this administration to not do this not only dumb idea, but dangerous, dangerous idea."