“As you know, [this] has been a talker and that is President Trump saying he wants to accept this gift, this grand gesture from Qatar, this luxury jet," Brown said.
“You even have some Trump allies like Laura Loomer and Ben Shapiro against it. Even saying if this was Hunter Biden or Joe Biden, we would be going crazy right now. Even some Republicans in Congress have been speaking out against it. What do you think?”
“It must be one heck of a jet,” Zinke said. He attempted to fend off Brown's question, saying how the current Air Force One is aged, and how Trump attempted to cut a deal with Boeing before the offer from Qatar came in.
“I understand it went through Pam Bondi. So it's legal. It's ethical.” Zinke added, “Does it give the right message? Well, I hope Boeing looks up and goes ‘Look, you know, I've got to deliver.’ But I got to say, it must be one heck of an aircraft.”
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Brown pushed back, “Well, just to follow up on that, because ethics experts are very concerned. They're concerned that it could be considered a bribe, and when you were on the show with me a couple of months ago, you said, ‘Look, I believe in the constitution.’ As you know, the Constitution says ‘No officeholder may accept a gift from a foreign state without congressional approval.’ Why should Trump be allowed to take this plane? Do you have any issues?”
Zinke, who is a former Navy SEAL Commander and member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, deflected. “I don't think it's a personal gift. I think it's government to government–”
Brown interrupted, “But is that a workaround? Because he said it's going to go to the Trump Presidential Library after?
“Well, we'll see where it goes,” Zinke said, only to get more pushback from Brown.
“So what do you think? Are you for it or against it? Where do you stand? Do you have any ethics concerns or constitutional concerns?” Brown pressed.
“I'm glad Pam Bondi stepped in and looked at it from a legal point of view, which is helpful,” Zinke said, repeating his "heck of a plane" comment.
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“But even if it's a really nice plane, that doesn't take away the other ethics and ....”
Zinke interrupted, “But I can see the point to that, is it a good look? Is it a good look to have a Qatar aircraft that now ...”
Brown interjected:“Do you have concerns? I mean, you were a former Navy SEAL. Do you have concerns about the fact that even President Trump has said Qatar has had relations with the terrorist group Hamas? Which is why Laura Loomer and others are speaking out.” Brown said strongly. “This would have to be completely stripped down to make sure there aren't any bugs or spying gear or anything in it.”
“Oh no, no doubt they're going to go through this with a fine-tooth comb,” Zinke said, averting the question once again. “Now, to your point, does it provide leverage over the Qataris? I don't think so with this president. But, you know, he's making deals and I think it's transactional to him.”
Zinke later added, “From a business point of view, because he is a business guy, he goes out and you know, he's making deals everywhere. and he's Mr. Dealmaker.”
“There's a difference between being a private businessman and being a president,” Brown said before ending the conversation and tossing to break.
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