Trump reportedly toured the jet earlier this year in Florida, and the deal appears to have been in motion since then.
On Reddit, numerous users compared the situation to strict workplace gifting policies.
Several mentioned that their employers limit gifts to under $50 or even $25 per year, with one person recalling how they had to reject a simple branded t-shirt. Others labeled the gift “bribery on the highest level” and criticized the optics of the U.S. relying on another country for a presidential aircraft.
Anticipating the fallout, the White House Counsel’s Office and the Department of Justice have already conducted legal reviews. According to sources, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will officially declare the gift legal, citing that it will ultimately be donated to a public institution and not retained by the president personally.
The legal argument hinges on the notion that the plane is being gifted to the U.S. Air Force, not to Donald Trump directly, and that the transfer is not tied to any official favor or policy exchange.
Despite the legal clearance, public concern lingers. Many view the gift as emblematic of poor judgment, suggesting that such extravagant offerings from foreign powers should be met with caution, especially when involving sitting presidents and their post-office endeavors.
Whether or not the gift is accepted, the debate underscores the importance of transparency, ethics, and public trust in presidential dealings with foreign nations.
