President Donald Trump has launched a scathing attack on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer amid growing controversy over a proposed Qatari gift of a $400 million Boeing 747-8 aircraft to the U.S. government.
Speaking aboard Air Force One during a diplomatic tour of the Middle East on Wednesday, Trump defended his support for accepting the aircraft — intended as a future Air Force One — and sharply criticized Schumer for opposing the deal.
“Schumer, you know, he’s become a Palestinian,” Trump said, adding, “There’s something wrong with him… He’s lost his confidence.”
The comment, the second time Trump has referred to Schumer in such terms, quickly drew renewed condemnation from both Muslim and Jewish advocacy groups, who accused the president of using ethnic identity as a political slur. Schumer is the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in the U.S.
At the heart of the dispute is Qatar’s offer to donate a luxury Boeing 747-8 to the United States — a gesture Trump has welcomed, calling it “stupid” to reject the offer. He later stated on Truth Social that the jet was being given “to the United States Air Force/Department of Defense, not to me.”
But Schumer has vowed to block all Justice Department nominees currently awaiting Senate confirmation until the administration provides more clarity on the deal. “This is not just naked corruption — it is a grave national security threat,” Schumer said.
He is demanding answers from Attorney General Pam Bondi and the White House about whether Qatar’s gift violates the Constitution’s emoluments clause, which forbids federal officials from accepting gifts from foreign governments without congressional approval. Schumer also raised concerns about the jet’s security upgrades and whether they would be carried out by Qatari contractors.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Monday that legal questions surrounding the donation were still being resolved, but insisted that any gift to the U.S. government would be “in full compliance with the law.”
The proposal has sparked bipartisan unease. Republican Senator Josh Hawley said he preferred Air Force One be a “big, beautiful jet made in the United States,” while Senate GOP leader John Thune acknowledged “lots of issues associated with that offer” requiring further scrutiny.
As political fallout spreads, the aircraft — one of the most valuable gifts ever offered to the U.S. — has become a lightning rod in Washington’s escalating debate over ethics, foreign influence, and presidential power.
