A New 'Mar-a-Lago in the Sky' Taking Shape?

Defying Critics, Trump Moves Forward with Qatari-Gifted 'Palace in the Sky' Boeing 747 as Air Force One Replacement

In defending the gift of a super luxury jumbo jet he’s preparing to receive from the royal family of Qatar to use as Air Force One, President Donald Trump described it as a brilliant deal. Not for the American people, it isn’t. The Boeing 747-8 jet is so lavish it is estimated to be worth around $400 million, and Jessica Levinson, a law professor at Loyola Law School and an MSNBC columnist, has said that “a gift of this size from a foreign government is unprecedented in our nation’s history.” After Democrats and some Republicans objected to the planned transfer of the “flying palace” as unconstitutional and corrupt, not to mention needing costly retrofitting, Trump suggested Democrats ought to be in awe of his deal-making abilities. The real offense, he said, would be paying for the plane. Contrary to Trump’s insinuation that this is actually good for Americans, by accepting the luxe jet he’d be taking the American public for a ride. The Constitution’s emoluments clause prohibits public officeholders from receiving gifts from foreign states without consent from Congress. There’s a simple reason for that: Those countries have their own interests that are separate from, and often at odds with, the interests of the American public. By accepting the jet, Trump would be accepting a favor that could raise the potential for a reciprocal act that serves the interests of Qatar instead of the U.S. - MSNBC

• Current and former U.S. military, defense and Secret Service officials said Donald Trump will likely have to waive existing security specifications to be able to use the Qatari plane, The Washington Post reported. Further, a White House official said it was premature to say how long upgrades to the Qatari plane would take. The newspaper reported that flight records show the Qatari jet was moved five weeks ago to San Antonio International Airport, suggesting that preparations for improvements might already be underway.

• The conservative New York Post published an editorial headlined: “Qatar’s ‘Palace in the Sky’ jet is NOT a ‘free gift’ – and Trump shouldn’t accept it as one.” Rightwing pundits on social media have proceeded to dredge up uncomfortable material for Trump with an enthusiasm which they normally reserve for progressive Democrats. A clip of Trump talking on the White House lawn from 2017 in which he accused Qatar of historically being “a funder of terrorism at a very high level” circulated widely. The maelstrom comes as Trump begins a four-day tour of wealthy Gulf states, arriving in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. His aim is to seal a number of lucrative investments and arms deals in the region, but the visit is in danger of being overshadowed by the plane controversy - The Guardian

• The president also announced plans to lift sanctions on Syria following the fall of the Assad regime, a move that he said will “give them a chance at greatness.” Trump is expected to informally greet Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Riyadh on Wednesday before he departs for Doha, Qatar. Trump is also expected to travel to the United Arab Emirates later this week as part of his first major international trip of his second term - CNN

• On President Donald Trump’s first major international trip of his second term, he was welcomed with the sweet smell of home: greasy fries. Saudi Arabia had rolled out a custom mobile McDonald’s for his latest visit in an attempt to impress the president during his Tuesday jaunt to Riyadh. It’s well-known that Trump loves the Golden Arches—he often served fast food at White House banquets during his first term and he handed out McDonald’s to drive-thru customers during a campaign photo shoot. This week, Trump was greeted by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the airport and by a shiny, double-staircase McDonald’s trailer outside the nearest media hub. If he gets hungry during the day’s trade talks, he’ll be able to fuel up fast - Daily Beast

EU High Representative Kaja Kallas doesn’t think the meeting between the Ukrainian and Russian presidents will actually take place this week. Speaking at the Copenhagen Democracy Summit on Tuesday, Kallas said that, although Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky made the right decision in accepting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invitation to meet in Turkey on Thursday, it’s “a big question” whether Putin is actually willing to meet with Zelenskyy there. “I think it’s a good move if they sit down, I think it should be between Zelenskyy and Putin, but I don’t think [Putin] dares, I guess,” Kallas said. More than three years after the start of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Putin offered Zelensky direct talks this week “without any preconditions.” Zelenskyy called Putin’s bluff — but added that Ukraine will only accept peace talks if the Kremlin agrees to a 30-day ceasefire, a proposal the United States made two months ago. - Politico

• Donald Trump said during his visit to Saudi Arabia that Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Turkey for the potential meeting between Zelensky and Putin. According to the White House, US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg will accompany Rubio.

My comment: From the Kremlin’s perspective, several complications stand in the way of Vladimir Putin traveling to Turkey for a potential meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. First, despite warm ties between Moscow and Ankara, Putin remains deeply wary of leaving Russia while an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant looms over him. His reluctance to risk detention abroad adds a significant obstacle to any face-to-face diplomacy. Second, meeting with Zelensky would mark a major shift in the Kremlin’s stance—implicitly recognizing him as the legitimate leader of Ukraine, rather than a “coup-installed” figure as previously claimed by Russian state narratives. While Putin could theoretically delegate the meeting to his foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, this would likely require Zelensky to send his own foreign minister in response—downgrading the talks and possibly reducing their diplomatic weight. Lavrov, often dubbed the Kremlin’s “Marlboro Man” for his gruff demeanor, hardly matches the stature of a presidential-level summit.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is framing his new cabinet, which includes two dozen new faces and several longtime ministers, as leaner and more focused than previous governments. “We are starting as we aim to go on. Our government will deliver its mandate for change with urgency and determination,” Carney said outside of Rideau Hall following the cabinet swearing-in on Tuesday. Just two seats shy of a majority government, Carney said his new government has a “strong mandate” that will focus on defining “a new economic and security relationship with the U.S.,” and “build a stronger economy for all Canadians.” There are also several returning longtime ministers from Trudeau’s cabinet, including François-Philippe Champagne, Dominic LeBlanc, Melanie Joly, Steven MacKinnon, Steven Guilbeault and Chrystia Freeland. Freeland — who spent more than five years as Trudeau’s top deputy — resigned last December amid escalating tensions with the prime minister. Despite running against him for the Liberal leadership, Freeland got a seat on Carney’s election-time caretaker cabinet in mid-March. She’s staying on as minister of transport and internal trade. LeBlanc, meanwhile, becomes minister responsible for Canada-U.S. trade, intergovernmental affairs, and One Canadian Economy. Throughout the election campaign, Carney pitched himself as the best candidate to deal with U.S. President Donald Trump, and promised to break down interprovincial trade barriers by Canada Day. And Anita Anand — who previously headed up procurement, national defence, and the treasury board — is taking over the foreign affairs file. This, amid an ongoing trade war with the United States. Tapped to head up some of the biggest portfolios, including foreign affairs, finance, justice and defence, are a dozen prominent Trudeau-era cabinet ministers - CTV

The Israeli military will resume its operations in Gaza "with full force" in the coming days, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday."Completing the operation means defeating Hamas. It means destroying Hamas," Netanyahu said in a statement issued by his office. He warned there was "no way" the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza would be halted, even if a deal is reached with Hamas to release more hostages. His comments are expected to complicate talks on a new ceasefire that had seemed to gain momentum after Hamas released the last living US hostage, Edan Alexander, on Monday in what it called a "goodwill gesture" to US President Donald Trump. In comments released by his office on Tuesday from a visit to wounded soldiers the previous day, Netanyahu said Israeli forces were just days away from a promised escalation of force and would enter Gaza "with great strength to complete the mission. It means destroying Hamas." - Euronews

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