Duckworth Grills Air Force Secretary on Taxpayer Costs and National Security Risks Regarding Trump’s $400 Million Qatar Bribe

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC)—today pressed Air Force Secretary Troy Meink and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin on the more than $1 billion in taxpayer money it would cost to convert the Qatari jet into a secure Air Force One, as well asthe operational security risksinherent with using a jet gifted by a foreign government to transport the President. Video of Duckworth’s remarks can be found on the Senator’sYouTube.
“It’s not enough that Donald Trump has given the pathetic appearance that he can be bought with a luxury jet—this flying national security risk will also force taxpayers to waste over $1 billion in upgrades to make the aircraft fit to protect a President of the United States,”Duckworth said.“We already have two fully operational and capable Air Force One aircraft. This would be a colossal, unnecessary waste of taxpayer dollars that needlessly creates operational security risks and gives the dangerous impression that our foreign policy is for sale. We cannot allow this.”
Duckworth hasbeen an outspoken criticof the Trump Administration’s plan to accept the $400 million luxury jet from Qatar. Last Thursday, sheled her Senate Democratic colleagues in demandingthat the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) be transparent with them about the substantial national security and operational risks posed by President Trump’s plan to accept the $400 million jet from the Qatari royal family. Last Friday, the Senator joined U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Adam Schiff (D-CA) and other colleagues inurgingthe DOD Acting Inspector General to open an inquiry into DOD’s involvement facilitating the transfer of an unprecedented foreign gift intended for President Trump’s personal use.
Since day one, Duckworth has repeatedly called out the Trump Administration’s top-ranking national security officials and the severe national security failures they have been responsible for. AfterThe Atlanticreported that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sent classified war plans in a Signal group chat with other Trump Administration officials, putting the lives of our men and women in uniform at greater risk and undermining the effectiveness of the mission, Duckworthreleased a statementdemanding Hegseth’s resignation and an independent investigation into all officials on the Signal chain. The Senatorreiterated her callfor Hegseth to resign in disgrace after theNew York Timesreported that Hegseth also shared the classified airstrike plans with his wife and brother. In March, Duckworthjoinedher Senate colleagues in calling on the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, SASC and U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee to hold hearings to investigate why members of President Trump’s national security team were recklessly discussing classified military operations on unsecured devices.
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